The Awakening
by dreamsofyesterday1
Summary: Part thirteen of the Robyn series. With help from Doctor Palley, Robyn explores her gift. Will their exploration yield positive results or is there something more sinister behind Robyn's abilities? Rated T. Some readers may find content in chap8 disturbin
1. Tests

The Awakening

Disclaimer: same as always.

Part thirteen of the Robyn series.

Six months had passed in Lazytown since Kit and Robyn's birthday. It had been a fairly easy six months for everyone and was enjoyable. Everyone was now looking forward to Christmas and the New Year.

Stephanie had had her baby not long after getting married to Pixel and the three were going to spend the holidays with her parents. Baby Lucy was a healthy, lively and pink girl who had most of the looks of her mother.

Pixel's stag night had gone just as he'd envisioned it except instead for being cast out to sea naked in a dinghy, he'd been anchored in the lake.

Pixel and Stephanie's wedding had been held in Robyn's new garden and had been wonderful. Stephanie's parents had highly praised Robyn's hard work and her brilliant designs. They also couldn't deny the girl had serious talent and had taken away plenty of gardening tips with them when they'd returned home.

Kit and Robyn's holiday to the Greentown Gardens had been fabulous and they'd come back closer than ever. Their time away from the prying eyes of their friends and family had done them a great deal of good. While they'd been away the two had recorded a lot of things they'd done on their video camera including Kit accidentally bursting a water mattress by jumping on it. He'd not been aware at the time that it was a water mattress and there was plenty of laughter to be had when all of the water started to pour out of it. The expression on his face had been hilarious and his explanation to the member of staff they'd called to report the 'faulty bed' had also been comical but believable. They'd narrowly escaped having to pay a huge bill for the replacement of the bed, carpets and mattress.

Ché and Greta had returned home a week after the birthday party as their stay had been a long one and Ché had student heroes to mentor. They'd told Kit and Robyn to let them know when they wanted to take their trip to Spain and the two promised they would; they also suggested it would be a nice place to go for their honeymoon.

At the present time Robyn was sat in the waiting room at the outreach clinic. Doctor Palley had arranged to do the tests he'd spoken of once. He wanted to study Robyn's ability and how it worked. Both Ziggy and Robbie had strongly objected to the tests and Robyn being treated like a lab rat to satisfy the doctor's curiosity but Doctor Palley had promised to treat Robyn with the utmost respect. He'd also promised to keep the two men well informed and to give them a copy of a full report he'd write on his conclusions. Eventually both men had relented and dropped their objections.

Doctor Palley walked out into the waiting room and looked for Robyn; he spotted her sitting by the windowed wall of the clinic and walked over. Robyn looked up when she caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye and stood up. Doctor Palley motioned for Robyn to follow him and she did.

Once they'd walked into a quiet corridor Doctor Palley spoke, "you understand we have to be careful. No one knows what we'll be doing when we get to my office; they're under the impression that you're here for some more brain scans and to consult with me about your epilepsy."

"I understand. If anyone found out I could quite easily be taking a one way trip to the Crazytown safe house."

"No one except your friends is aware of your ability are they?"

Robyn shook her head, "only they know. I had a few attacks while I was in the Greentown Gardens but they weren't questioned."

"Good. I've lined up several types of tests and will score you between one and ten on what you've picked up and how well. Ten is the highest and one will be the lowest. I expect you to get some tens in some tests and ones in others. I'd certainly be amazed if you got ten out of ten in all of them."

"So would I." Robyn agreed.

Doctor Palley opened the door to his office and motioned for Robyn to enter. She did so and he followed her inside closing the door behind him.

Upon entering the room Robyn noticed that on the doctor's desk there were several items laid out and on the examination bed there were several bags which looked like they contained items of varying size. Two violins had also been placed on the floor next to the desk which confused Robyn.

"Please take a seat and make yourself comfortable." Doctor Palley said taking a seat on his chair.

Robyn sat down on a chair opposite the desk and watched as the doctor pulled some small cards from a drawer in his desk. They were face down so she couldn't see what was on them but something told her what was on the cards.

Robyn closed her eyes and honed the images that were forming in her mind, "circle, star, square, cross, rectangle and triangle."

Doctor Palley was struck dumb. Looking at the cards with shaking fingers he realised that Robyn had gotten every single card right and in the order they were stacked. He'd not expected her to get it so quickly or with such incomparable accuracy. Taking a pen from his pocket he wrote down the result of the first test, ten out of ten. He also made notes of what had happened for his report.

"If you're wondering the items in the bags from left to right are: a shoe, a set of keys, part of a tyre, a pair of headphones and a stethoscope." Robyn said with her eyes still closed.

Once again Doctor Palley was struck dumb. Robyn had guessed each item correctly and had passed the second test. The score was ten out ten like the last time.

Clearing his throat Doctor Palley said, "That was extraordinary. Now, you see these items on the table in front of you? I want you touch each one and tell me if you get any images from them. All of these were previously owned by patients who have died either in their homes or the hospital some died further back than others."

Nodding Robyn placed her hand on the first item. It was a pair of slippers. Within ten seconds of placing her hand on the pair of slippers Robyn yawned and shook her head.

"Come sit by me, Mabel. We'll sleep tonight no doubt. Oh my back does hurt. It hurts something rotten. Let me lie down Mabel, that's it. Good girl. Now to sleep." Robyn spoke in a strange voice as if it wasn't her speaking at all. Her words had been intermingled with yawns and her eyes had opened and closed at random.

Doctor Palley watched Robyn's actions with great interest and slight trepidation. Her reaction to the slippers was extremely odd but fascinating. He had to go back to the store room in the hospital and find out who had owned the slippers. If Robyn picked up the same vibes from everything else on the desk he'd have to look up the rest of the items too.

When she removed her hand from the slippers Robyn came back to herself and smiled sweetly at the doctor. She seemingly had no memory of what had transpired upon touching the slippers and at the doctor's instruction put her hand on the next item.

It was a belt.


	2. A familiar warning

Not long after Robyn touched the belt she was assaulted with images of a very high intensity. They filled her mind and made her head throb with pain. As the seconds passed the pain increased and it felt as if her head would split in two to decrease the pressure of the attack on it. Her head didn't split into two, the images intensified further and sounds permeated her ears. The sounds were screams, the screams of children. A perverse pleasure filled her at the sound of the screams and yet they revolted her. They were screams of intense pain, screams for mercy and they continued relentlessly. As much as she tried to ignore the screams they wouldn't quiet. Despite her efforts the screams grew louder and drowned out the images.

Not able to stand any more she pulled her hand away from the belt quickly and the pain started to subside as the images faded.

Doctor Palley was concerned with Robyn's reaction to the belt. He could tell from her countenance that she'd been in great pain; something told him that he didn't want to know who had owned the belt. Despite his concerns he said nothing as Robyn moved her hand to touch the next item. It was a china doll.

A strange mix of emotions reached Robyn as she touched the doll. Happiness, loneliness and sadness all mixed into one. There was a hint of love too, the kind of love afforded to childhood toys. Carefully she picked up the doll and held it close. She studied the features and they were somehow familiar, as if she'd seen the doll a hundred times and knew every single inch of its face. Absently she brushed her fingers through its hair and hummed a tune that she'd never known before touching the doll.

After a few minutes Robyn put the doll back on the desk and again seemed to return to herself. It was reassuring that she was able to control when she could come out of these 'trances'. Whenever she came out of the trances Robyn could feel residual traces of them and faint whispers of memory from the owners of the items.

"Is everything alright?" Doctor Palley's voice broke through Robyn's reverie.

Robyn smiled sheepishly realising she'd been daydreaming, "everything's fine. There's a lot to take in with every item."

"I understand. There are only two left now. Do you want to have a break or continue?"

"It would be best to continue then have a break before going onto the next test."

Doctor Palley nodded. He'd already written over two pages of notes and was sure that anyone that read the report would find it interesting reading. What he was witnessing was something beyond anything he could have comprehended. Before meeting Robyn and seeing Robbie alive and well he'd dismissed all psychics as frauds and maniacs. He had viewed all of their ramblings as useless mumbo jumbo that had been made up to con people out of their time and money. There was no doubt in his mind that Robyn was genuine. He had living proof right in front of his eyes.

Slowly Robyn placed her hand on the next item, it was a football. Frowning slightly Robyn looked at Doctor Palley.

"There's nothing there." She stated simply.

"That's because it's brand new. I thought I'd throw it in to test you."

Robyn nodded and placed her hand on the final item. It was a paint brush, the thin kind used by artists. Memories from the painter filled Robyn's mind and they contained the painter's works and his thoughts while painting them. A peaceful expression crossed her face as she relaxed into the memories. Gentle colours worked their way onto a blank canvas turning it into a masterpiece. As absorbed as she was in the images she removed her hand from the brush and looked to Doctor Palley.

Doctor Palley took note of Robyn's absolute calm. Robyn's reactions to the doll and paint brush differed from that of her reaction to the slippers and belt. It was of no consequence, they had been powerful reactions no less and he'd not expected her to pick anything up at all. With a simple touch she'd not only sensed things from the items but had drawn something from them, the imprint of their owners.

"Why don't we have some lunch? I need to finish up some things here but you're welcome to take an hour's break and come back when you're done." Doctor Palley suggested.

Nodding Robyn turned and left the room. Instead of heading to the canteen to get herself some lunch she walked out of the main entrance into the grounds. The cold December air assaulted her as she left the adequately heated confines of the clinic. It was refreshing outside and she walked slowly around.

After being outside for a little while, Robyn was about to head back into the clinic but heard someone calling her. She knew this to be a certain someone only she could hear. Heading in the direction of the voice she noticed a man in a trench coat and hat studying a tree. The man turned when he sensed her approach and smiled, it was Detective Miller.

"You almost freeze to death fifteen years ago and yet I see you running around in a bath robe in the pouring rain several months ago and now you're out here without a coat on. Makes me wonder if I wasted my time." Detective Miller scolded lightly.

Robyn smiled sheepishly, "You didn't. Its twenty years to the day since you died isn't it?"

"It is. You know they still haven't found my body? They stopped looking a long time ago though. I can't have peace until my body is found; I'm doomed to wander aimlessly forever."

"I can help you find it."

Detective Miller shook his head, "you should know better than to go gallivanting over those mountains in winter. I should have known better. No matter when you do it it's too dangerous for you. If you pick up my trace you could very likely die, in all accounts you'd freeze to death just as I did. Don't get me wrong, I was alive when I fell wherever I fell and landed wherever I landed. My injuries were severe though and it only took an hour for me to freeze to death."

"So you're a dangerous man for me to be around then?"

"My spirit, me, is fine. It's my body which would present the problem. Traces work in strange ways; they're different for every person. Something you should be careful of. Not every spirit you encounter will be as considerate as me when it comes to traces and talking."

Robyn smiled, "that's nice to know. I better be going now, I don't want to freeze to death out here and I should eat something."

"Of course," Detective Miller replied, he was about to disappear when a thought struck him. "Robyn, don't take what Cain said lightly. There is danger coming in the future and it's closer than you think. Keep your eyes open and your wits about you. You'll know when the time has come when it has arrived."

Before Robyn could ask the Detective what he meant he vanished. Shaking her head and muttering something about dead people Robyn made her way back inside the clinic. It was obvious that the spirits were more clued in about what was going to happen then she was. Their lack of information was frustrating at best, something was stopping them sharing with her what they knew.

Detective Miller found himself in a familiar place. A place he hadn't been since he'd died twenty years before. Fear gripped him as silhouettes began to line the walls and a myriad of voices spoke to him simultaneously. Their words held a threat he knew they wouldn't hesitate to act upon.

He was in serious trouble.


	3. Further tests and tunnels

Doctor Palley looked up when he heard the door to his office open. He smiled when he saw Robyn entering. Looking at his watch he realised that the hour had gone by very quickly, he still had a lot of his report to write up. Motioning for Robyn to sit down he stood up and bent over awkwardly to pick up the two violins he'd left on the floor. He put them both on the desk once he'd managed to stand up.

"Is this going to be a music lesson?" Robyn asked confused about the violins.

Doctor Palley shook his head. "I want you to play one."

"I've never touched one of those before and I've certainly never played one."

"That doesn't matter, just pick one of them up and play."

Robyn did as she was bid reluctantly. The moment she touched violin she knew how to hold it and placing the bow on the strings began to play. For someone who had never held let alone played a violin before her talent was extraordinary. She played as well as Mozart had ever done in his prime, it was out of this world.

Doctor Palley watched Robyn with wide eyed wonder. He'd never expected this at all. Again he'd been knocked off of his feet by Robyn's abilities and it was obvious to him now that they ran much deeper than he'd ever anticipated. Not only would his report make for interesting reading it would arouse a lot of questions which he couldn't answer. He was out of his depth now, way out of his depth.

Once Robyn had stopped playing the doctor couldn't help but applaud, the melody had been beautiful and it had been executed marvellously. Still trying to overcome his surprise and unable to speak he motioned for Robyn to pick up the second violin. Robyn did so and this time all he got for his trouble was a series of painful screeches, the sort of sounds expected to be heard when an absolute novice played a violin for the first time.

Frowning in evident frustration Robyn looked to the doctor. "Why was that so bad when the other time was so good?"

"One of those violins, the one you're holding now, is absolutely brand new. It's never been played. The other was owned by my grandfather, I never learnt to play it and neither did my father. It's been passed down through the years and has minimal sentimental value. You're welcome to keep both if you wish. The football too if you like, I doubt I could make much use of it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. To me the violin is useless. I'll never learn to play it and I have no children to pass it on to. I'm also an only child and the only place it would go when I die is a rubbish tip. Keep them both, learn how to play them and sell the old one if you wish."

"Thank you, doctor. That's very kind."

"Not at all. Call it an early Christmas present."

Robyn nodded and with Doctor Palley's help put both violins back in their cases. Looking at the clock Robyn realised that Sportacus was due to come and collect her. The doctor noticed too and handed Robyn her coat, helping her to load up with the two violin cases and the football he opened the door for her. To make sure she was alright with everything he followed her to the waiting room. Seeing Sportacus standing by the entrance he waved a greeting and then walked back to his office.

With a great deal of confusion plain on his face and acting the gentleman Sportacus took one of the violin cases off of Robyn and followed her out of the door. When he noticed Robyn trying to spot the airship he tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to Trixie's car. It was Robyn's turn to look confused and Sportacus helped her unload all of her stuff onto the back seat.

Now in the car on the way home Robyn turned to look at Sportacus, "you drive?"

"Yes. I can do other things you know."

"Surely the airship is easier for you."

"There's a snow storm on the mountains. It's too dangerous to fly over them so we have to travel like everyone else, on the ground."

Robyn nodded, "fair enough."

Sportacus didn't reply as he changed the gear on the car and made his way to the tunnel.

When the car was a quarter of a way into the tunnel Robyn felt something. It pressed into her chest and she couldn't breathe. Pain gripped her and as much as she wanted to cry out she couldn't. Knowing what was happening to her didn't make her feel any better; in fact it made it worse. She began to panic making it much harder for her to breathe.

"What's wrong?" Sportacus asked noticing Robyn's obvious distress.

Robyn couldn't answer. She fought to stay awake; losing consciousness was not a good idea.

Not able to turn around in the tunnel or stop all Sportacus could do was continue driving. Despite the driving regulations in the tunnel he put his foot down, there was no one in front of him and he had to get out of the tunnel quickly. Much to his surprise the further down the tunnel Sportacus got the more Robyn seemed to calm.

Eventually the tunnel came to an end and when it was safe he pulled the car over. "What was all that about back there?"

"A trace. It's what happens when I pick up what's happened to people."

"I remember. When you picked up what happened to Robbie that was a trace wasn't it? How do you know their called traces?"

"Daddy told me once. While he was still dead, it's all part of the deal apparently."

Sportacus nodded. "I don't like it all though. Is there anyway to stop them?"

"No. I just have to put up with them."

"Ok. Will you be ok now, sweetie?"

Robyn nodded and smiled. "I'll be fine. I am fine. You know you always call me sweetie when you're worried about me?"

"I hadn't noticed."

"Well you do. Stop worrying, it's passed now and I never pick up the same trace twice. We best get back before anyone thinks something's gone wrong."

Nodding Sportacus reluctantly drove the rest of the way back to town. He kept a close eye on Robyn which he knew didn't go unnoticed by her.

At one point Sportacus was so intent watching Robyn that he didn't notice Skip running out into the road.


	4. Collision

At Robyn's sudden warning Sportacus slammed on the brakes hard. Before he knew what was happening someone ran out in the road and was hit by the car before it came to a stop. Leaping out of the car Sportacus ran round to the front as did Robyn and saw Kit lying on the ground. Much to their astonishment Kit sat up and let Skip go, he'd grabbed the terrier just before he'd gone under the wheels of the car.

Seeing the worried expressions on Robyn's and Sportacus' faces Kit smiled slightly, "don't worry. It's not the first time I've been run over."

Sportacus shook his head trying to shift some of his surprise.

Trying to lighten the situation in his own way Kit said, "I know you don't like me Sportacus but running me over isn't the right way to tell me you know. A simple 'I don't like you' would have sufficed."

"I do like you." Sportacus protested perplexed by Kit's accusation.

Kit rolled his eyes, "that makes me feel so much better. Now if you don't mind I could use some help getting up."

Both Robyn and Sportacus helped Kit to his feet. Despite being knocked over by the car Kit stood up perfectly well and seemed absolutely fine. Without a word he seated himself in the back seat of the car. Looking at each other with confusion Robyn and Sportacus followed Kit's example and got back in the car.

Kit noticed the violin cases on the back seat next to him and laughed, "Blimey Princess, are you going to rob a bank or something?"

Rolling her eyes Robyn turned round so she could look at Kit, "they're not machine guns, silly."

"Shame." Kit said with mock disappointment.

Within two minutes the three arrived at Trixie's house and Sportacus handed her the keys back while Kit and Robyn cleared all of their stuff out of it. While Kit was out of earshot Sportacus asked Trixie to call a doctor, he explained what had happened to Kit and she immediately did as she was asked. Coming back a minute later she whispered to Sportacus telling him that Doctor Cole was on his way. In an effort to keep Kit from running off somewhere she asked the three out loud if they wanted to come inside for some cocoa. Sportacus entered straight away and was followed by Kit and Robyn.

As Kit walked in the door he light heartedly said to Trixie, "I know what you're trying to do."

"How?" she replied a little confused.

"Because Sportacus is about as subtle as a sledgehammer sometimes." Looking at Sportacus he said, "Aren't you?"

Sportacus just shrugged playing the innocent. It was thing Robyn being able to see through him like a piece of glass and it was another Kit doing it. He felt uncomfortable at best when either of them did it, as if there was nothing he could hide.

Kit, Robyn and Trixie were halfway through their mugs of cocoa when someone knocked on the door. As he was the only one not drinking at the time Sportacus got up and answered the door. It was Doctor Cole who had knocked; Sportacus stepped aside to let the doctor in and closed the door when he had entered.

Everyone welcomed the doctor as he stepped into the kitchen and Trixie offered him a cup of cocoa.

"I'm afraid I must decline. I can't stay long because I have to be mindful of the snow that's coming off the mountains. The storm is on the move and I have to go all the way back to Greentown before it hits." Doctor Cole explained.

"Uh oh. Robyn doesn't like snow." Kit grimaced.

"How come?"

"It might have something to do with her nearly freezing to death in the snow. She's got a major snow phobia going on there."

Doctor Cole nodded, "Chionophobia. Not as rare as you might think. It's also not the strangest phobia I can mention. For instance there's Levophobia; a fear of things to the left side of the body or the opposite is Dextrophobia; a fear of things to the right side of the body. There's also a fear of gravity, the name of which escapes me for the moment but I'm wasting time. I believe, young Kit, that you've been hit by a car."

"Yep. Sportacus was driving."

"Oh dear. Whatever next?"

Kit smiled. "He wasn't going quickly. I'd say about five miles an hour when he hit me. I've been hit by a car doing forty miles an hour before now."

At Kit's statement everyone expressed surprise. This was another thing about Kit they'd not known before. It was a shocking thing to say the least. Kit explained that there were people out there that liked to use drifters as target practice and he got caught by one of them. If it hadn't have been for another driver on the same road who had seen what had happened Kit wouldn't have made it to the hospital. He also said that had been the closest he'd come to death since the first attack he'd suffered at the hands of the Shadows.

Once he'd shaken off his surprise and remembered that he had to get home quickly Doctor Cole examined Kit. He took Kit's pulse, temperature, blood pressure and after asking him to remove his shirt examined Kit's back and chest where it seemed he'd made impact with the car.

"I think that looks fine. No problems at all from what I can see. As a precaution I'll make you an appointment for a CT scan and x-ray so we can make sure everything is fine." Doctor Cole said once he'd finished.

Looking in his appointments book he told Kit to come to the clinic the next day as he had a double appointment free for both the x-ray and CT scan. Showing himself out Doctor Cole then made his way back home. He just about made it before the snow hit.

Robyn looked out of the window glumly when she noticed the first snow flakes begin to fall. She really didn't like snow, it scared her. Whenever she went out in it she was always cast back to the time she was lost on the mountains and she'd have a panic attack. Even now she could still hear the voices of the children calling her, asking her to play with them in their fatal game of death. No matter how much time had passed and despite the best efforts of her family and friends her phobia remained as strong as it had always been.

"Come on Princess, I'll race you home." Kit suggested. Time was running out before it really started snowing and when it did there was no shifting Robyn.

Robyn nodded and then ran off followed by Kit who shouted 'bye' for the both of them. Trixie and Sportacus smiled as they watched from the window. Luckily both Kit and Robyn made it back home before the snow fell faster. After helping Trixie clean up and gathering all the stuff left in the hall from the car Sportacus left too.

The snow was starting to fall really heavily now and it was settling on the ground. It would be another white Christmas and another battle to get Robyn over to the Mayor's house for Christmas dinner in a few days.

Usual procedure was to drag Robyn kicking and screaming to the house. Everyone used ear plugs when Robyn was on her way as she could scream with a great deal of volume. There was very little chance that anything would change this year.


	5. Judgement

Detective Miller stood before the Judges trying to plead his case again and again. They wouldn't listen. His attempts to get them to at least hear him out were proving in vain. As much as he didn't want to admit it he had overstepped the mark this time. Interfering in the affairs of the living world was frowned upon at best. They had overlooked his assisting what the Judges termed 'prey' who had gotten lost on the mountains. They at least understood he had his own reasons for doing so, if asked they would say that they had ordered him to do so. It was the Judges way to take credit for things that weren't of their doing.

The collective voices of the Judges reproved Detective Miller yet again. They spoke as one despite their numbers being many. They acted as one, thought as one and did so efficiently. Their word was law and was unbreakable. Any who were brought before them a second time found themselves to be facing the risk of being re-judged. Second judgements were never good and there was only one place they could and would send Detective Miller.

A representative of the Judges stood forward. He was their voice; their words were his. "You have interfered in the affairs of the living world for the last time. We have overlooked your past interferences and you have abused that. The vessel was not to be told anything. You were going to tell her our secret; you were going to surrender our knowledge to her. What can you say in your defence?"

"There is nothing I can say in my defence except that I thought I was doing the right thing. The vessel had to be told something. She is no good to you dead, unless she knows what is coming that is what will happen."

When Detective Miller had finished saying what he said a great clamour rose in the hall of the Judges. Their voices rang out in argument no longer speaking as one. Some agreed with the detective and others passed off his speech as a desperate excuse to save his soul. Some demanded that the vessel was of no consequence while others defended her. No matter what their thoughts or feelings the vessel was essential to them. She was the bridge between the living world and their world, the first and last bridge that would ever present itself to them.

They had to use her wisely.

Kit came back from the clinic with a clean bill of health. Everything had checked out fine and the only evidence of his being run over by Sportacus was a few bruises on his back, arms and legs. Doctor Cole had expressed a great deal of interest in numerous scars he'd seen on Kit's torso when he'd examined him the day before and Kit had explained them all. Some were attributed to operations, others to fights and some were unexplainable.

It didn't surprise Doctor Cole at all to hear that Kit had been in more fights than he could count. Kit explained that life on the road was tough and there was always someone out there wanting a piece of you. Knowing how to use your fists was a major advantage although Kit had admitted freely that he'd lost most of the fights he'd gotten into.

Robyn welcomed both Sportacus and Kit with a kiss and a hug when they returned from the clinic. Robbie declined Kit's request for a kiss and a hug with a chuckle and a dismissive wave of his hand. His excuse was that if he kissed and hugged Kit he'd have to hug and kiss Sportacus which might not be received as well as it would with him. Kit nodded and smiling wickedly gave Sportacus a kiss and hug so Robbie didn't have to. Robbie laughed and rolled his eyes, he still refused to kiss and hug Kit.

Kit pouted for a few seconds and then put his hands on his hips, "Fine. I thought you loved me but I was wrong. After all the things I've given up for you. All of my time and my hard work wasted. You don't appreciate me, Robbie, so I'm leaving you. Goodbye Robbie."

With that Kit turned on his heel and hit the door face first. He'd not remembered closing it.

Robbie, Sportacus and Robyn couldn't help but laugh when Kit stuck his nose up in the air after scraping himself off of the door and opening it walked out swinging his hips like women do when they walk.

When he'd calmed down Sportacus put his hands on his hips too and looked at Robbie with mock disgust. "How could you? If you love him you should go after him." He said before dissolving into more laughter.

Robbie couldn't move for laughing. Kit had been extremely convincing as a mistreated housewife and he'd even made Robbie wonder if he'd actually done something wrong.

A knock on the door calmed Sportacus' laughter and being that he was the closest opened it. Doctor Palley stepped in with a rather bemused look on his face and two bundles of paper. At Sportacus' instruction the doctor removed his coat and hung it on the end of the banister of the stairs.

"This might seem extremely odd but I was given a message from Kit for Robbie. He says he wants a divorce." Doctor Palley recounted hesitantly.

Robbie chuckled, "don't worry doctor. It's a little joke we had last night. We were discussing his and Robyn's wedding and somehow we got into a rehearsal and I married Kit."

"I see now." Doctor Palley replied, "I wish you every happiness for you future together."

Sportacus, Doctor Palley, Robyn and Robbie burst out laughing again.

Deciding it was best to leave the doctor alone to discuss the results of the tests with her father Robyn picked up her coat and went outside. She stepped around all of the residual traces of the now melting snow and tried to find Kit. It didn't take her long to find him; he was sitting on a nearby wall reading a book. She sat beside him and attempted to read over his shoulder but he was smarter than that. He kept deliberately obscuring the book from her view by different means and wouldn't let her read as much as a word.

Eventually silence fell in the hall of the Judges. They had made their decision. Detective Miller was to remain in the state of existence he was in at that present time and had been permitted to answer any of the vessel's questions on what was to happen.

For his part Detective Miller didn't like what he'd been permitted to do. There was a very strong chance the Judges would change their minds once he'd told the vessel all they wanted to know and he'd be judged again. If he didn't tell the vessel what they wanted to know he could be punished for that as well. No matter what he did he was trapped. This was not a position he liked to be in.

Knowing that he had to keep his thoughts well guarded from the Judges, Detective Miller thanked them for their mercy and he was sent back to where he'd been before they'd recalled him. It was his guess that Robyn was long gone by now and he decided that he'd take his time in finding her. He knew where she was true enough but the Judges didn't know that. Looking for her was safer than talking to her and he could keep his back guarded that way. It brought him more time as well; time to think on what he was going to do.

It was almost certain that the Judges would be watching him. They had eyes and ears everywhere. Followers that kept themselves anonymous to everyone, their identities were never shared. These followers were quite simply termed 'watchers'. It had been the watchers that had been responsible for Robyn losing her sight. They had thought ill of the girl, that she could see too much and could betray them with that knowledge. Every move the girl now took was scrutinised to the finest degree. She knew the rules now, the next time she stepped out of line they would be justified in removing her sight again. There was no argument about that.

Looking around him before setting off Detective Miller thought he'd take the long route to Lazytown. If he was being followed by the watchers there was a chance he could stay one step ahead of them on the mountains. For twenty years he'd spent an unending amount of time scouring them.

Either way he had to eventually tell Robyn something. What that something was would be decided by her. If she made the wrong choices they were both doomed.


	6. Spontaneous combustion

There was a presence in the room with her. A presence she'd not felt before, it was different from that of any spirits she'd encountered. This was much more oppressive, much more ominous. As much as she tried to locate the presence she couldn't, it seemed to be all around her. There were no forms that she could see or sounds that she could hear. The presence was keeping itself hidden from view and was remaining silent.

"Show yourself," Robyn whispered nervously looking about her the same way.

There was no reply.

Robyn didn't know what to do. If she left the room the presence would follow, if she stayed it would stay too. She was trapped. There was no one in the house with her and even if there were they couldn't help her.

Someone rang the doorbell on the front door. Looking around the room again she got off of her bed and made for the door. She tried opening the door but it wouldn't budge. Invisible hands held it shut pushing against the door as she pulled it. Giving up her attempt on the door she looked around the room again as if trying to see where the presence was.

"What do you want with me?" she asked with more ferocity than before.

As if she'd finally asked the right question the invisible hands left the door and threw Robyn across the room onto her bed. Before she could move the sheets wrapped themselves around her of their own accord tying her down. One crept round and covered her mouth to block out any of her screams while another tightened round her neck for extra reassurance.

The last thing Robyn saw before she was lost in oxygen starved unconsciousness was a figure materialise from the shadows in the room.

Doctor Palley rang the doorbell a third time and still received no answer. He was about to give in and go home when the door opened and Robyn stepped out. There was something distinctly odd about her that he couldn't put his finger on. It seemed an investigation was in order.

"Hello Robyn. I was worried no one was coming. As promised I have the belt here, I can't see what you could possibly want with the thing but its here all the same." Doctor Palley said handing Robyn a plastic bag with the belt inside.

"Thank you Doctor. I'm sorry if there was any delay answering the door; I was blow drying my hair and didn't hear the first two rings."

Doctor Palley found this statement to be extremely odd for three reasons. The first was that he knew for a fact that Robyn never dried her hair with a hairdryer and most certainly didn't own one. The second was that had Robyn been drying her hair she wouldn't have known that he'd rung the doorbell three times only one of which she'd supposedly heard. This led him to a conclusion and his third reason for finding all this odd, she was lying. Robyn never lied. There wasn't a dishonest bone in her body and he knew this fact very well.

Feeling a sudden need to go home Doctor Palley turned on his heel and walked over to his motorbike. Starting it up he rode away from the house and headed out of town.

Once the doctor had gone the presence closed the door and transformed back into its invisible form. Detective Miller wasn't the only one that knew the trick and only the presence could shape itself into other people. It had been obvious that the doctor suspected something and now that it had done with the vessel the presence went to deal with the doctor.

Robbie sat in Ziggy's kitchen with a mug of cocoa. He'd suggested to Ziggy that they go over Doctor Palley's report together. That way they could share their thoughts and put their heads together on anything that confused them. They'd not yet read the reports and were about to when Ziggy's telephone rang. Sighing the candy enthusiast went to answer it.

When Ziggy picked up the phone all he got was the dialling tone as if the person had hung up. He replaced the receiver and stood by the phone waiting for it to ring again in case the person had thought Ziggy had missed the call and tried again.

Curious as to where Ziggy had gone off to for a little while and feeling the call of nature Robbie stood up and went to find Ziggy en-route to the bathroom. He found him in the hall standing by the telephone and was about to ask if he could use the bathroom when the phone rang again. He decided to use it anyway, Ziggy wouldn't mind and he was busy anyway.

Yet again there was a dialling tone when Ziggy answered the phone. He had a sneaky suspicion that someone was playing tricks on him and he knew who it was likely to be. His thoughts were disrupted when he smelt smoke somewhere. Running into the kitchen he saw that the kitchen table was on fire. He was about to call the fire brigade when Sportacus came running in.

At Sportacus' instruction he ran back into the hallway to grab his mini fire extinguisher and threw it for the hero to catch.

Sportacus didn't have time to put the fire out as it seemed to do it itself. All that was left of the table were four blackened stumps that had once been the legs. He stared at the table in utter confusion. He knew that tables didn't spontaneously combust and he also knew that they didn't put themselves out.

Ziggy walked back into the kitchen with the same look of confusion on his face.

"What could have happened?" he asked.

Sportacus shrugged, "I don't know. There wasn't anything flammable on the table was there, like a candle?"

"No, all we had on the table were out two cups of cocoa and Doctor Palley's reports. Nothing at all that could have done any damage."

Robbie walked back into the kitchen hurriedly he'd smelt smoke when he'd left the bathroom and had no idea what was going on. When he saw the state of the table he adopted the same expression as Ziggy and Sportacus.

"I guess we won't be reading those reports after all." Robbie stated glumly.

Ziggy and Sportacus nodded.

Doctor Palley wasn't far from his house in Greentown when he decided to back and confront Robyn. The girl was hiding something he knew it and he wouldn't stand for being lied to. He knew he had to go back and quickly. Finding a safe place to turn around he did so and zoomed back towards Lazytown.

The ride to Lazytown took forty minutes from Greentown but that didn't deter him. He had plenty of time to spare as it was his day off and he was determined to find the truth. No matter how much time or hard work it took he would get Robyn to confess that she was lying and would make her tell him the truth.

Within thirty minutes Doctor Palley was at the Crazytown/ Lazytown tunnel. He entered it and rode down. When he was halfway through the tunnel disaster struck. Without warning his motorbike went out of control and he couldn't get it back again. Before he knew it he was on the wrong side of the road and a car was hurtling towards him.

Despite almost standing on the brakes the driver of the car was too late. His car hit Doctor Palley's motorbike propelling the doctor into the air and over the roof of the car. Finally coming to a stop and pulling out his cell phone the driver called in the accident before leaving the car to check on the motorcyclist.

Doctor Palley wasn't moving.


	7. Choices

"Then we are agreed?" the representative asked.

Robyn looked down, "We have to be. What choice do I have? What choice am I given?"

"You can choose whether your family lives or dies." A second representative stated standing up. "That is your choice. Our secret must be kept at all costs. The test results must not be revealed to anyone. Speak of them to anyone and they will die."

"Judges. Honours. Whichever. You know that my family presses me in all matters. There are things which I cannot keep from them and I can't lie to them. Is there anyway that I might choose a confidant that I can share some of what I know and some of what I am safely?" Robyn pleaded.

After a pause the first representative spoke, "Who would you have as this _confidant_?"

"My father. He un-"

"_YOU'RE FATHER BELONGS TO US! HE SHOULD NEVER HAVE ESCAPED US! NO ONE ESCAPES US!_" the second representative bellowed causing uproar in the hall of Judges.

Robyn had to cover her ears against the shouts of the Judges. It seemed some agreed with her statement while others were reminded of their losing Robbie to the living world and they protested it.

After a few more minutes of continuous shouting Robyn couldn't take anymore, "He did escape you." Instantly the shouting subsided. "Judges. He did escape you but see this as an advantage if you will. My father is the only one that knows and understands what happens here. That will understand what I'm telling him. If he is my confidant then I don't have to explain anything of you to anyone, he already knows. You can see that this works well and will keep your secret. The 'prey' won't have to know."

"I agree with the vessel. Watchers have reported to us in the past that the family unit has attempted to prise information from her. This arrangement suits us and the vessel. If the vessel speaks of us to anyone else we can still act." A third representative suggested standing up.

There was silence in the hall of Judges. They had come to a decision. They had agreed with the third representative. In a white flash of light the vessel was sent back.

Robbie came home to a worryingly silent house. Before he could call out for Robyn a voice called out for him. Looking round he saw Detective Miller standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Don't go up there. Not yet." Detective Miller stated hurriedly.

"Why?"

"A Watcher was here."

Panic gripped Robbie. He knew what Watchers were capable of. Before he could say or do anything Detective Miller disappeared. He reappeared ten agonisingly long seconds later and told Robbie what he wanted to hear. Robyn was ok. Quickly Robbie ran upstairs and burst through the door of Robyn's bedroom.

When he entered the room Robyn was sitting on the bed rubbing her head. With an enormous amount of relief running through him he went over to the bed and pulled Robyn into a massive hug. In those ten seconds that he'd been left alone he'd thought he'd lost her. To lose her after all this time would kill him. Not only was she his daughter she was his world.

Robyn gently pushed Robbie away after some minutes. She looked into his eyes and could see unshed tears there. Carefully she brushed the tears away and pressed a gentle kiss on his forehead. Smiling weakly when she was sure Robbie was reassured she looked up at Detective Miller who was standing watching the pair.

"Don't mind me. I have all eternity to hang around if there's anything else you need to do." Detective Miller said with a slight smile.

Robbie looked at Robyn then at Detective Miller, "I don't think that's necessary Chris. I've done all I wanted to do for the moment. What brings you here anyway?"

"The Judges permitted me to answer any questions Robyn may have about something, something that you can't know about. It seems I was tricked. I was followed by Watchers when I left the hall of the Judges; they expected me to come straight here. Taking the long way here didn't seem to work. A Watcher beat me to it."

"Why couldn't I see them? I could sense them but that was all." Robyn asked remembering the presence she'd felt in the room.

"They're invisible to everyone including you. Perhaps in time you will be able to see them but not yet. You must be careful of them though. Watchers can make physical contact and they can be anyone, anywhere. Like me they can take seemingly solid form but they can also take the form of whoever they like. Be careful, keep your wits about you and your senses open. They're not what you should be most concerned with as you know. Before I say too much I must go. I'll be back at some point I shouldn't wonder."

Robbie nodded and stood up, "thanks Chris. You've been a real help."

"Don't mention it. Be careful old friend. The Judges are baying for your blood ever more. You know the rules."

"No one escapes. I think my best plan of action is to live forever."

Detective Miller laughed, "You can certainly try. I don't want to bet on your success though."

With that Detective Miller vanished. Robyn and Robbie were left alone again. To the best of her ability and also being cautious that they could be being listened to, Robyn explained what the Judges had said to her. Robbie listened carefully to what Robyn was saying and was glad that he'd been chosen as a confidant, he had experience with the Judges and Watchers. He also knew what Robyn's gift was in depth and to some extent what it could grow to be.

After a little while Robbie suggested that he and Robyn have a late lunch. Kit was due back home any minute from an ice fishing trip with Sportacus. It was more than likely that Sportacus would have lunch with them as well and so agreeing on what they would have father and daughter went downstairs.

Doctor Palley lay on a bed in the emergency department of Greentown Hospital. He'd survived his bike crash and had come off luckily. Both of his legs were broken and one wrist was broken too. Once he'd been stabilised the police had wished to speak to him but the strangest thing was that the last thing he could remember was having breakfast that morning.

He had no memory at all of going to Lazytown that day or delivering reports on a previous visit. He'd stated that the last time he'd seen Robyn was when she'd come for a brain scan and consultation with him for her epilepsy. As a precaution the police checked Robyn's medical records and low and behold there were some very recent brain scans in her file.

It seemed as if there was a very good chance that the accident was in some way related to Doctor Palley's memory loss. They'd put down his losing control of his motorbike to human error, such things did happen after all.


	8. The belt

As Robbie passed the coffee table he noticed a plastic bag on it. Robyn had noticed the bag too and knew what was inside. Gingerly she picked it up and handed it to Robbie.

"I thought you should have this. It was at the clinic, if I could go into absolute detail I would." Robyn explained seeing Robbie's questioning look.

Robbie reluctantly opened the bag and stuck his hand in. Pulling his hand back out he saw what he was holding, it was a belt. As soon as his skin had made contact with the harsh leather and unforgiving buckle he knew exactly who the belt had belonged to. Mr Snail.

There in his hand was the instrument of his torture, the object that had laid unbearable pain on him in the past. It looked deceptively innocent now that it wasn't connected to the merciless hand that wielded it with such power. He knew that it wasn't as innocent and harmless as it looked. It never had been. The slave was the very essence of the master.

As he ran his hand over the uncompromising leather he could remember his screams as it tore into his flesh. He could remember the threats and orders from its owner.

If he screamed

_Whack!_

If he cried

_Whack!_

If he bit his lip until it bled to stop the screams

_Whack!_

If he begged for mercy

_Whack!_

If he said nothing

_Whack!_

If he didn't scream

_Whack!_

If he didn't cry

_Whack!_

If he flinched when Mr Snail touched him

_Whack!_

If he said no when Mr Snail wanted to treat him as a favourite

_Whack!_

No matter what he did, no matter what he thought, no matter what he said he would always be beaten. There were never any soft beatings; they were always hard and angry ones. Beatings meant to send him to death's domain if he was ever weak enough to falter. Every lash of the belt wouldn't send him into unconsciousness it would keep him from it. He was never beaten so that every old lash would dull him to the new; it was done so that he was always in constant pain. The only mercy from the belt was to relent and allow its wicked master to do what he wanted. For many years Robbie hadn't known what was worse, the belt or its master, the beating or the 'favourite treatment'.

Tears coursed down his cheeks. He wasn't a grown man anymore. He was young boy lying naked on a cold floor, frightened out of his wits. If he screamed no one would hear him except the one that was watching him with lustful eyes and caressing his skin with lustful hands. If he cried there would be no comfort, only punishment for being weak.

Robyn watched her father silently for some time. There was no comfort she could offer. All she could do was be there for him when he asked her for help.

His soul cried out against its wounds. There was no retribution to be had for what the belt had done, or was there?

"We can take it somewhere quiet and burn it. The buckle won't burn but I can throw it as far as I can into the lake. It will never hurt you again." Robyn suggested sensing that her father had come to a conclusion.

Robbie looked up at Robyn his eyes darkened by tears and the depth of emotion within him. He couldn't speak. He couldn't find words to say to express what he was feeling. His heart beat in a wretched rhythm controlled by sheer agony and anguish.

Slowly Robyn walked forwards and took one of Robbie's hands in hers. It trembled drastically conveying the emotion of its owner. She could feel his pain; it seeped through his skin into hers, from his very being into her own. As if brushing a tear from his cheek she was taking his pain into herself. Something she'd not known she could do but instinct guided her.

The strangest feeling came over Robbie. As if a massive weight were being lifted from his shoulders. He knew what Robyn was doing and tried to pull his hand away but she grasped it with an iron grip.

She'd gone too far. She knew that now. Blood seeped down her back as it had done so many months before. The wounds had reopened and crimson trickles flowed from them. As much as she tried she couldn't stop the pain. She couldn't stop the screaming in her head or the sensations overwhelming her. Caresses, fear, threats, orders, words of obscene tenderness. With her free hand she pulled the belt from the loose grip her father had on it and fed the pain she was feeling into the belt. After several agonisingly long minutes the belt suddenly crumbled into dust. Scars had begun to show on it and the leather had weakened. It had bled. The belt had bled like any human. Its owner would have felt the same pain. It was the only thing left in the world attributed to him.

The very moment the loop had ended Robyn collapsed. All of her strength had been drained away and there was nothing else she could do.

Robbie knelt down beside Robyn filled with absolute confusion. Everything had happened so fast he hadn't had the slightest chance to take anything in. Right now his obligation was his daughter. Thankfully she was breathing and appeared to be semi conscious. Moving his attention to her back he ripped the back of her blouse and gasped when he saw that her scars were gone. It was if there had never been any marks on her back in the first place.

Slowly Robyn regained full awareness of her surroundings. The pain was gone and she was conscious of a hand brushing her hair back from her face. With deliberate slowness she sat up holding the front of blouse to her chest so as not to expose it.

"Why did you do that?" Robbie asked softly with a slight hint of reproach in his voice.

"The pain would have destroyed you. I could feel what you felt even before I made the connection. You wouldn't let me take the memories from you so I took the pain instead."

Robbie frowned slightly, "I never said you couldn't do anything."

"You did. It's the memories that make you who you are. I couldn't take all the pain away but its bearable now. To take all of it away would be to take a fundamental part of you away, a part that you need to survive."

"Thank you. I can feel the difference; there is a lot of difference there inside. Sportacus and Kit will be back soon, I'll make lunch while you tidy up."

Robyn nodded and stood up with a hand from her father. She didn't know how he'd react when he found out his scars were gone too.


	9. Christmas dinner

Christmas day had arrived at last. Snow had been falling all morning turning Lazytown uniform white from its usual bright colours. All of the decorating at the Mayor's house had been done and the presents laid out ready to be opened. The guests would be arriving any minute and Bessie got the ear plugs ready for when Robyn was being brought over.

Trixie arrived first closely followed by Stingy and Ziggy. Doctor Cole arrived two minutes later, he'd been invited by Bessie as she'd discovered he had no family and couldn't imagine the man spending Christmas alone. Sportacus arrived next; he'd been at Robbie's house sorting out with Kit who'd carry Robyn over this year. Kit had volunteered himself and had strangely said that ear plugs wouldn't be needed anymore.

"What do you think he meant by that? They're not going to hit her over the head with a baseball bat to get here quietly are they?" Trixie asked after Sportacus had told everyone about the ear plugs.

Sportacus shrugged, "I don't know. He didn't say what he had planned but I really don't think it would be a baseball bat to the head."

"Seeing as Robyn is a major Chionophobiac I really can't see them doing it any other way."

"What was that word?" Ziggy asked in confusion.

"Chionophobiac? Chionophobia is a fear of snow, a phobia."

"Oh," several people said at the same time. They'd been confused by the word as well.

Two minutes later the phone rang and Bessie answered it. The call finished in less than thirty seconds. Bessie explained that it was Kit and they were on their way over. Everyone went over to the window to see how Robyn was being brought over. They all gasped in amazement when they saw Kit was giving Robyn a piggy back over and she wasn't making a sound. As the two got closer everyone could see Robyn tucking into a chocolate chip muffin and eating it quite merrily.

Doctor Cole shook his head and said, "Carrot on a stick."

Everyone that had heard the doctor's statement nodded. It was just that. All of Robyn's attention was focused solely on the muffin so she didn't notice the snow. It was a good trick and something they should have tried fifteen years ago. Had they worked it out it might have saved a lot of noise and hassle.

It wasn't until Robyn was inside the Mayor's house that she'd noticed she'd moved at all. Robbie entered a matter of seconds later carrying a bowl which Robyn grabbed and ran off into a quiet corner where she wouldn't be bothered.

"Cake mix." Robbie explained.

Everyone nodded and laughed. If anyone had an affinity for cake mix it was Robyn. She wouldn't let anyone get near her while she was eating it and if anyone tried to pinch any she'd guard it like a tiger. It was quite obvious that Robyn had been bribed to come quietly.

Fifteen minutes later everyone was sitting down to dinner. Robbie was helping to serve everyone their food

"You know this makes a real change from you trying to make me leave Lazytown," Sportacus mused out loud.

Robbie looked up and smiled, "and I would have gotten away with it too if it hadn't been for you meddling kids."

"You better watch out Robbie." Kit laughed, "You'll have the copyright police after you not to mention the fashion police."

"And what's wrong with the clothes I wear?"

"I suppose they're ok if you get dressed in the dark."

Laughter broke out all around the table at this statement. There was no denying that Robbie and Kit was quite a pair when it came to comedy and insults.

In response to Kit's insult Robbie flung a carrot at him which amazingly Kit caught in his teeth. As a joke Robbie made to fling a knife at Kit as well but he got told off by Bessie. Sulking like a scorned child Robbie sat down and levelled a menacing glare at Kit who just smiled sweetly at him.

After he'd had several mouthfuls of food Sportacus smiled, "you know sometimes I find it hard to tell you two apart."

"Us two?" Kit asked indicating himself and Robyn.

"No. You and Robbie."

Kit nodded, "I guess we are a lot alike. The only way to tell us apart is that one us has a bigger package."

Robbie burst out laughing, "at least I've used mine."

"Well I'm going to use mine on your daughter." Kit threw back.

Robyn raised an eyebrow, "Kit, if you and me were the last two humans on this earth I'd be trying to start a family with Skip."

Kit fell off his chair laughing and the others weren't too far off doing the same.

"Oh so you really love me then," Kit managed to get out once he'd calmed down a little.

"You're cheating on me with my father. What am I supposed to say?" Robyn replied.

Doctor Cole managed to stop himself laughing long enough to say, "I really hate to burst your bubble but if you have no marriage license or certificate you're not actually married."

Robbie banged his hand on the table in mock annoyance, "so I've been taking this guy's verbal abuse for no reason? Terrible."

"At least you take it on the chin. I wouldn't be so easy going about it all."

Kit laughed, "You've got to admit he's got a flipping big chin to take it all on."

"Here we go again. Do you actually want to marry Robyn because I could always say no." Robbie replied.

"You know I could always give you a seed and you could grow a sense of humour with it."

Everyone around the table 'ooh-ed', they waited anxiously for Robbie's retort but none came. All Robbie did was laugh.

By the time the dessert course had come round everyone had had their fair share of wine. Sportacus had kept himself on water and watched with amusement as everyone reacted to the alcohol. Robyn's reaction was funniest, she would giggle at anything.

After Robyn's tenth giggle fit Kit turned to her and said, "We're just a little bit drunkified aren't we?"

"Jusht a little bitsh drunkified, yesh." Robbie slurred thinking Kit had been addressing him.

The party wound down about ten o' clock and everyone went home. In his merry state Kit couldn't help but sing a lewd song but was shushed by Sportacus.

Kit growled at his being interrupted but then smiled, "you can't stop me singing this one!" clearing his throat he commenced, "Mary had a little lamb, it was full of fun and frolics and every time the lamb played up she kicked it in the…"


	10. The shack

Robbie and Sportacus were sitting in the living room reminiscing over old times. Kit and Robyn had gone to deliver late presents to everyone and had suggested going for a walk afterwards. It had been two days since Christmas and there was snow on the ground still but Robyn had been adamant about trying to deal with her phobia. Kit had pinched a whole supply of chocolate chip muffins from Robbie's secret stock just in case they were needed.

"Where has the time gone, Sportacus?" Robbie asked after a break in their conversation.

"How do you mean?"

"It doesn't seem like it's been fifteen years since Robyn was a little girl. Some mornings I wake up and I expect a four year old kid to come running into my room but instead there's a nineteen year old there."

Sportacus nodded, "I know what you mean. Sometimes I look at her and I have to take a second look to make sure my eyes aren't deceiving me. I watched her grow up but it hasn't changed anything, I still see her as a child no matter what I do."

"We are getting old. That's the main problem. Take Robyn for example, she has her own mind now and always has done if I remember rightly. She does what she wants to do and if she gets a bee in her bonnet there's nothing that will shift it. No matter how many times I remind myself that she has her own mind and is old enough to make her own decisions I still feel a need to interfere."

"Yeah."

"You know she has a tattoo?"

"I didn't have the slightest idea," Sportacus replied surprised, "How did you find out she had one?"

"I found out for myself. She was coming out of the bathroom in that robe of hers and I could see the tattoo through that."

"Where is it? Weren't you mad?"

Robbie smiled, "It's behind her right shoulder, and I couldn't see it in great detail but its there. To be honest I wasn't mad, I have a tattoo somewhere and I couldn't tell her off for doing something I'd done. She still thinks I don't know about it."

"I didn't know about it either. My guess is that Kit had a hand in this."

"Not at all. He and Robyn went snail racing, at her wish, and both put bets on and I think both lost."

It was Sportacus' turn to smile, "I wonder where he's had this tattoo put."

"He didn't get a tattoo this time. He got his nipple pierced"

"Ouch."

Kit getting his nipple pierced wasn't the only 'ouch' he'd suffered in the last six months. Listening to Robyn practising her new violin was quite painful on his ears. He'd suggested that they go quite a way out of town in the opposite direction of the mountains to avoid polluting anyone else's peace and quiet. Kit made a mental note to bring his flute with him next time he took Robyn out violining, that way he could try to tune it with her.

After twenty minutes Robyn suggested that she and Kit walk a little farther. They still had an hour until they were due back for lunch and could easily get back to town in no time. Kit agreed with the suggestion and they walked hand in hand still going in the opposite direction of the town.

The two were about to turn back after fifteen minutes of walking when they spotted a structure in the distance. Letting go of Kit's hand Robyn ran over to it, she knew what it was. Getting closer she could see that it was a ramshackle shack, in the daylight it was much clearer than it had been the last time she'd seen it. It was Cain's hide out.

Kit finally caught up with Robyn and saw what she was looking at. The shack was dilapidated to the point of almost collapsing. It looked as if it were the last standing shack out of what had once been a camp site. There was an atmosphere about the place which cut through the air like a dagger. It was so powerful it made the hairs on the back of Kit's neck stand up. There was something wrong about this place.

"Princess, I really think we ought to make our way back home now." Kit said making to back away from the shack.

Robyn didn't reply.

People were running everywhere absolutely terrified. There were flames licking the buildings and the people trapped inside. No matter where they ran to people couldn't escape the fires all around them. Within minutes the fires increased breaking out of the buildings in horrific explosions killing all of those nearby.

She was stood right in the middle of the disaster, trapped by the screams of the wounded and dying. A great stench had risen in the air from all of the burnt bodies filling her lungs with the acrid smoke from the fire. Holding her breath didn't work, the smoke was seeping into her skin, breaking into every fibre of her being. With terrified eyes she watched as fire crews arrived but they were too late.

There was no one left to save. No one was alive.

Through the noise of the fire and the screeching of the sirens Robyn could here someone shouting her name. The voice was female and sounded as if it was coming from inside the shack she was standing in front of. Drawn by extreme curiosity Robyn followed the voice with slow steps. As she reached the shack the flames parted for her allowing her admittance. When she cleared the door the flames rejoined blocking her escape.

Kit saw Robyn walk into the shack and followed her but when he got to the front of the shack it burst into flames. He jumped back in shock and landed in the snow. Getting up quickly he shouted for Robyn even though he knew it was futile if she was in a trance, nothing would get her attention.

The inside of the shack was lit by the flames outside. There was no fire inside and the images, sounds and smells from the outside were fading. Robyn could still hear the voice calling her and she continued to follow it unaware of what awaited her when she found its source. As Robyn moved further into the shack the voice grew louder, after a few more steps she came to a door. The voice sounded like it was coming from the other side of a door and reluctantly she opened it.

Slowly Robyn entered the room. Inside was a bed that looked like it had been slept in recently. Old cupboards lined one wall their doors all open and the shelves inside bare. After taking a few more steps inside the room Robyn heard a noise behind her and before she could react she was sprung upon by the person who had been calling her.

Kit heard screams from inside the shack and knew he had to act. Before he could do so he was joined by Sportacus, the hero's crystal was beeping furiously. Making a silent decision one man ran around to the back of the shack and other made an attempt at the front. No matter which way they tried to get in the flames followed them and seemed to anticipate their every move, it was hopeless. Kit ran over to Sportacus who had about as much idea about what to do as he had. There was nothing they could do.

Before Kit and Sportacus could think up another plan they heard a window break at the side of the shack and ran over to it. When they got there they could see Robyn lying face down in the snow. Crimson trickles marked the flawless white of the snow and Robyn was drawing in quick but shallow breaths.

Without a second thought Sportacus picked Robyn up and carried her up the ladder to the airship. Kit followed closely behind and watched as the shack collapsed before entering the airship. Robyn had got out just in time.


	11. Dangerous revelations

"What are we going to do?" Kit asked Sportacus once Robyn had been settled in her own bed.

"I don't know. I can't fly her to the hospital because of the weather on the mountains and if I take her home…"

Kit shook his head, "I'm sure Robbie's used to all this now. I know Robyn won't be taken to the hospital, if we get her away from here she'll be fine. It's always the way with these traces."

"I hope you're right."

Sparing a last look at Robyn, Sportacus jumped into the pilot's seat and pedalled back to Lazytown.

Kit tended Robyn's wounds with one of his handkerchiefs. There were lots of little nicks from the broken glass she'd landed on after jumping through the window. Some looked worse than others but none were very deep, thankfully. As the airship drew away from the wreckage of the shack Robyn began to wake up. Kit's theory had been right and he was anxious to know what had happened in the shack.

"What happened?" Robyn asked groggily, still coming round.

"That's what I wanted to ask you. I know for a fact that not all of these injuries came from you jumping out the window. Someone attacked you didn't they?"

Sportacus looked round shocked by Kit's statement. He'd not expected Kit to be so confrontational with asking what had happened.

For her part Robyn was unfazed. "The rules have changed. I can't tell you what went on in there."

"Why not?" Sportacus asked.

Robyn didn't answer. She couldn't answer. What could she say if she did? Telling the truth would mean that someone would die and lying wasn't something she could do. Again she was faced with one of those times where she wished she'd have a seizure so the question would be dropped. As always a seizure didn't come.

Sportacus was about to ask again when he saw someone appear as if from nowhere near Robyn's bed. It took a matter of seconds for his memory to click in and tell him who this person was.

"Detective Miller." Sportacus said by way of recognition not greeting.

The detective nodded. "You shouldn't press Robyn on this. I can't tell you the exact reasons why as we would all be in serious trouble. Leave any more discussion of this until you're back home and safely on the ground. It's easier for them to kill you in the air."

Before either man could ask anything more of the detective he was gone. Mindful of the detective's warning Sportacus picked up the pace and arrived back in Lazytown two minutes sooner than he would have done at his previous speed.

When Robyn, Kit and Sportacus arrived back home Detective Miller and Robbie were waiting for them. It was obvious that Robbie had been told what had happened to Robyn as he had some cloths and a bowl of water ready. Robyn walked over and Robbie finished off cleaning her cuts and put plasters on where they'd go.

"I assume you know what that place is." Kit stated looking at Detective Miller.

The detective nodded, "Sunny Acres Camp site. Thirty years ago an escaped convict from France who went by the name of Eloise DeChamp booked a shack or rather cabin under a pseudonym. Miss DeChamp was a bit of a fire fan and after spending a day at Sunny Acres decided to burn it to the ground. She lit fires in all of the cabins except her own while the whole camp was sleeping. Each cabin had a gas fire with spare canisters. I'm sure you know that if you mix compressed gas canisters with fire they go boom. By the time any of the fire crews arrived there was no camp left to save. Three hundred souls lost their lives in that fire. Strangely the only cabin that didn't go up in smoke was Miss DeChamp's. Need I say that she died anyway and the cabin that Robyn entered was hers?"

"You've got something severely out of balance here detective. Ghosts can't attack people."

"That is true but I wouldn't say that Robyn is normal people. It seems the game plan has changed. Robyn's ability is changing, growing faster than anyone expected. See dead people, hear dead people, and speak to dead people. That is supposed to be the deal. Not anymore. Physical contact now comes into it." Detective Miller walked over to Robyn, "if you'll allow me."

Robyn nodded seeing the detective holding out his hand. At Robyn's nod he clasped one of her hands to the great shock of everyone in the room.

Detective Miller himself was moved by the physical contact but not in the same way as anyone else. It had been twenty years since he'd touched anything and felt it. As a ghost his hand would go through anything he touched and all he had was a long, distant memory of how the item would have felt. The touch of Robyn's hand offered him hope. Before the sensation of flesh against his hand became too addictive he let go.

Getting lost in the feel of Robyn's warm, soft and living flesh would not do. There wasn't time for that and never would be. Even though he was a ghost and ought not to bother with such things he stuck by basic etiquette. Robyn was engaged and her flesh belonged to the man she was to marry.

Coming back to himself Detective Miller thought it best to offer some evidence that what had just happened wasn't a trick. Robbie had resumed his work and as he'd met Sportacus before Detective Miller went over to him. He held out his hand and Sportacus consented to be touched. The moment the detective's hand had made contact with Sportacus' it went straight through. This caused another jolt of surprise from everyone in the room.

As for Sportacus he'd never been touched by a ghost before. It was a curious thing to have someone's hand sticking out through his own and to not feel a thing. He watched as the detective slowly withdrew his hand and he tried to get his head around what had happened.

Detective Miller stepped back from Sportacus and looked at Robyn, "I'm sure you understand that this makes you much more vulnerable than before. You have enemies all around you, now that they can hurt you they will. Luckily you have your allies, those that see you as indispensable to their continued existence."

"Why would Robyn have enemies?" Kit asked confused.

"Her ability, there are those that view her as a threat. Others view her as a tool and an obsolete one at that. Both of these groups whatever, their views of Robyn, think ill of her and will do ill when they wish to." Detective Miller replied and then turned to Robyn, "if you don't mind there is something I must say to you, something that is to be heard by your ears only."

Robyn nodded and stood up. She made her way up the stairs and found Detective Miller standing in her room. He was back to his non-solid form; this indicated that he had to say could not be overheard by those it didn't concern.

Detective Miller gestured for Robyn to take a seat. When she did so he said, "Eloise DeChamp shouldn't have been able to attack you. Unlike me and your father she wasn't bound in purgatory. Because of her deeds she was sentenced to eternal torture by the Judges. This means that her spirit would always be bound to where it had been placed and would never make contact with this world."

"What are you saying?"

"When the explosion ripped into our domain your father wasn't the only one brought into this world. It breached what you might call hell and only one person was brave enough to take advantage of that breach. The breach is still open and only Eloise DeChamp has used it since the first person escaped."

Dread filled Robyn but she asked the question she was being drawn to ask, "Who was the first?"

"Lily."


	12. Punishment

Robyn's head swam as it attempted to come to terms with what Detective Miller had just said. It didn't make sense. It couldn't be true. If Lily was alive why hadn't she attacked yet? Where was she? What was happening?

Detective Miller didn't like the way Robyn was looking. The colour in her face was fading fast and he could see a distinct tremble in her hands. Something was wrong with the girl. He knew he'd told her too quickly about what had happened but it had to be done.

All of the light in the room faded as if someone had cupped a hand over the winter sun. A chill breeze blew through the room and disturbed the pages of an open book on the nightstand. The curtains in the window swayed in the breeze as if it was blowing in through the window but the window was firmly shut.

Sportacus wrapped his arms around himself when he felt the temperature in the room drop substantially and suddenly. Looking around the room he could see Kit and Robbie doing the same. It was with a certain apprehension that Sportacus noticed he could see his breath in the air. This hadn't gone unnoticed by the others and they too looked worried.

The floorboards began creaking above them as did the walls. They could hear the noise increase as if the top half of the house was separating itself from the bottom half. Something was terribly wrong.

Robbie knew what was happening. The icy hand of fear gripped his heart and squeezed it until he thought he would cry out. His breath came in gasps but the lack of oxygen coming into his system didn't stop him moving. With a burst of adrenaline he jumped out his chair and ran for the stairs. He made it to the top before an invisible barrier threw him back against the front door.

For the second time in twenty years Detective Miller was gripped by fear unlike any he'd felt before. He'd gone too far this time, far too far. Silhouettes began to slowly line the walls and within seconds had the room surrounded. There was no way out. Mindful of Robyn's whimpers he moved slowly towards her in a defensive gesture. Holding one of his hands out behind him he put it on her arm to offer her some small comfort, he could tell she was absolutely terrified by the way her arm trembled underneath his palm.

Minutes passed and yet the Guards made no movement. They took pleasure from the fear they had impressed upon the occupants of the house. There was much more tension radiating from those upstairs than there was from those downstairs. Those downstairs didn't know what was happening and were too busy dealing with their fallen comrade. It was only a matter of time before either one of the two upstairs would break.

Robyn was overwhelmed by sensations. She knew the silhouettes to be Guards from previous experience and their presence in the domain in the living wasn't good news. Were they here for her? Were they here about Lily? Were they here for her father?

The thought that the Judges had changed their minds and had sent the Guards for her father sent Robyn into a panic. She couldn't breathe and her eyes darted about wildly. If the Guards had had faces she was sure that they'd be smiling perversely at her discomfort. Detective Miller's attempt at comfort did nothing as her heart pounded until it was ready to burst.

Kit knelt beside Robbie and was glad when he regained consciousness. Something had thrown Robbie with tremendous force from the stairs. Something that didn't want whatever was happening upstairs to be disturbed. He was sure that it wasn't Detective Miller; he'd been told that he and Robbie were firm friends and it didn't seem like something that he'd do. Robyn couldn't have been responsible either, or could she? Had her powers grown to include telekinesis? Kit wasn't sure but reason took over and told him that Robyn would never do anything to harm her father or anyone for that matter. There was something much more sinister going on.

Sportacus slammed the receiver back down onto the cradle of the phone. It was dead. There wasn't even a dialling tone. Calling a doctor for Robbie would have to wait but it wasn't something he liked. Somebody was toying with them and in a much worse fashion than Lily ever could have. He had no idea what was going to happen next.

The Guards shifted making a gap in the wall as if letting someone pass. Robyn watched them with hazy eyes and knew what was coming. Watchers. The Guards were there to hinder their escape while the Watchers exacted the command of the Judges. They were going to be punished for interfering. They were going to die.

In silhouetted forms similar to those of the Guards, the Watchers entered. The moment the last Watcher had cleared the gap in the wall it was yet again closed in by the Guards. Spreading out, the Watchers began to advance on the pair by the bed. One group of four aimed themselves at the vessel while another group of four made their way to the detective.

Robyn began to back away in panic. Her hands and feet pressed into the mattress hindering her movements. Eventually she came close to the wall and screamed when several pairs of hands grabbed her and held her firmly against the wall. She was trapped by the Guards.

Detective Miller watched in horror as all eight of the Watchers changed their course and headed for Robyn. In an effort to stall them he shouted at them but their attention was fixed on their target. Again he shouted this time pleading with them and offering to make a deal with them. This got their attention.

"Name your terms." One of the Watchers hissed.

"Take me but leave the girl. The Judges quarrel is with me not her. I told her what she wasn't to know, the fault rests with me."

Another Watcher hissed, "She knows too much. She must die."

Again the Watchers started to advance on Robyn. The deal was off.

Robbie was almost frantic when he heard Robyn scream. He was about to make another attempt at the stairs when silhouettes began to line the walls of the living room. Seeing the Guards again brought back a lot of memories he would have rather forgotten forever. If the Guards had been summoned to the living world whatever was happening upstairs was serious. The Judges meant business.

Sportacus and Kit watched the silhouettes with wide eyed terror. They'd never seen anything like this before and a message was being sent out that it was something they'd never see again. Before they could move to escape the house invisible hands grabbed them and pulled them towards the walls. Robbie had been grabbed too and was trying to struggle but the hands were too strong. Not even Sportacus could break free.

Fighting down her panic as best she could Robyn spoke, "You don't have to do this. Make them forget. Make me forget. I know you can do that. You did it to Doctor Palley."

Robyn's statement made the Watchers halt their advance. They seemed to be consulting each other on what to do next. This development was unexpected.

"How do you know this?" Another of the Watchers hissed

"One of his colleagues mentioned that when he brought into the hospital after his accident he had no recollection of coming to town. Instead of doing the tests he remembered doing brain scans on me. You changed his memory."

Again the Watchers consulted each other.

"How far would you have us remove the memories?" The first Watcher hissed.

Robyn thought quickly, "As far as you wish. If they forget there is no quarrel. The Judges don't have to kill us. It works for all of us."

Within seconds of Robyn finishing her plea the room was engulfed in a blinding flash of white light.

Robyn sat bolt upright in bed. The room was dark and the house still. Looking at the clock she noticed that it read 8:00am on the 27th December.


	13. Sick days with Mr Hatty

Kit smiled when he saw Robyn coming downstairs but then frowned with concern and walked up to her. She didn't look well at all. She was pale and was trembling perceptibly. Before Robyn could protest he picked her up and carried her upstairs. This hadn't gone unnoticed by Robbie and he dialled the number for Doctor Cole. Once he'd done this he followed Kit upstairs to see what was going on.

Robbie came to the top of the stairs and paused. He had a strange feeling of déjà vu; it was something he couldn't pin point the reason for. Shaking off the feeling he walked the short distance to Robyn's room. Again he was assaulted with a different feeling. It was one of fear and dread. 'Robyn's ability must be rubbing off on me.' He thought to himself before entering the room.

"How's everyone doing?" Robbie asked trying to keep his tone light.

Kit looked round, "not too good I don't think. Doctor Cole on his way?"

"Yeah. He said he'd get here as quickly as he could."

"I hate to break up the party but I'm not feeling too good in the tummy department." Robyn said weakly.

Kit pulled a little face and went to get a bowl. Robyn didn't look to be in any condition to be running backwards and forwards to the bathroom. There was something really wrong with her and as far as he could remember she'd been fine the night before. One thing was for certain, if Robyn was going to be sick it would be Robbie that would have to be in the room with her. Kit and sick didn't mix very well.

Robyn really didn't feel too good. In fact she felt terrible. Her head pounded and it felt like her stomach was doing somersaults. Whenever she moved or sat up she felt dizzy enough to swoon and all of her muscles ached. The pounding in her head affected her hearing and made everything sound like she was underwater. She also felt cold, ever so cold.

Doctor Cole arrived fifteen minutes after Robbie had called him. He rang the doorbell and heard someone call for him to let himself in. After doing what he'd been told he headed upstairs and after knocking on the door to Robyn's bedroom entered. Upon seeing Robyn he expressed great concern. Instantly he went over to her side of the bed and narrowly avoided sticking his foot into the bowl Kit had left behind. He was rather alarmed that the bowl had been used and that the contents evidently had blood in it.

After examining Robyn and taking samples from the bowl for analysis as well as some blood samples he asked Robbie to follow him out of the room. Robbie did so and he didn't like the look on the doctor's face after he'd turned round from closing the bedroom door.

"What's wrong with her?" Robbie asked wanting any bad news to be given to him quickly.

"I can't say for certain. With her symptoms it could be any number of things. Her stomach is very slightly distended and painful when touched. As you can see she's a nasty shade of pale and is trembling. Her temperature is below normal which explains why she feels cold. I've given her something for her nausea and would really suggest that she not be left alone for too long. Try to push some fluids into her but refrain from giving her any food. I'll head off to the clinic now and will ring through when the lab comes up with the results from the blood I've taken."

Robbie nodded, "she can't be pregnant can she?"

"Of course not," Doctor Cole replied looking vexed. "I wouldn't suspect or suggest such a thing. For my part I can see where you're coming from but I should tell you that you are wrong for a number of reasons. One being that she is wise enough to have protected sex and would only do so when married and secondly because Kit is sterile. I won't go into the whys and wherefores about that because it's not my place."

"I didn't know that. And I'm sorry, I should have known better. It's just I-"

"Panicked." Interrupted Doctor Cole, "I know some of the symptoms sound a lot like those of pregnancy and as a father it's to be expected. I really must be going now before the bloods clot. Good day."

Before Robbie could say anything further the doctor left. 'What a strange little man.' He thought and then realised what he'd seen to be different about the man, 'at least that Cardinal's hat came off finally.'

Remembering what Doctor Cole had said about leaving Robyn alone too long Robbie walked back into her bedroom. When he was just inside the door he heard someone ring the doorbell and called for them to come in. He heard the front door open and after a few seconds Sportacus appeared on the stairs.

Sportacus smiled when he saw Robbie, "I wondered where everyone was. What are you doing up here?"

"Robyn's sick. Doctor Cole was just here and said she shouldn't be left alone for too long."

"Oh no." Sportacus sighed, "Does he know what's wrong with her?"

"He doesn't have the faintest idea. He took some blood samples and another kind of sample; he's going to ring when the tests come back."

Sportacus nodded, "anything you need me to do?"

Robbie thought for a moment, "in fact there is. Can you sit with Robyn while I go to the store and get her some soup?"

"Sure. I take it her stomach's not been too great either?"

"It's been really bad. I guess the main indicator of that is Kit not being here. I don't blame him, it took me a while to get used to the whole throwing up thing and unlike him I've had experience with dealing with it."

"Me too." Sportacus grimaced.

After saying goodbye to Robyn and promising to be back soon Robbie left for the store. Sportacus entered the room once Robbie was gone and sat on the other side of the bed.

Well knowing that when she was sick Robyn could get very unhappy about it indeed Sportacus thought of a way to cheer her up. Thinking back on previous occasions when she'd been ill he remembered a little game he used to play with Robyn. Taking off his goggles and then his hat he put his hat over his like a sock puppet and added the goggles which made the hat look like it had eyes.

Carefully he brushed back a few strands of Robyn's hair to alert her to his presence and she responded. She turned over slowly and smiled when she recognised the game.

"Mr Hatty," she whispered weakly.

For a little while Sportacus did a little 'puppet show' with Mr Hatty which seemed to lift Robyn's mood a little. He stopped it when Robyn fell asleep and gently tucked the sheets around her.

Little did anyone know that Robyn's apparent sleep was nothing but a vision. Another visit to a world beyond the capacity of normal eyes.


	14. Face off with death

Robyn looked around her. It wasn't the hall of Judges she'd been brought to this time but somewhere different. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she could make out headstones in neat rows. One of the headstones she was standing in front of looked newer than the rest. Crouching down she ran one of her hands cautiously over the inscription. Tracing the letters through the darkness she knew there was something familiar about them. She mouthed each letter she traced them with her hand, R-O-B-Y-N.

Jumping back in shock she bumped into someone and whirled round. Standing in front of her was a representative of the Judges. Their face was an expressionless mask similar to those that the other Judges wore. With the masks upon their faces there was no identifying them. Their words were spoken through the representatives so they couldn't be identified through their voices either.

After a long silence Robyn finally spoke, "why am I here?"

"You are dying."

"By your hand?"

"By our hand. We couldn't make you forget the conventional way so we chose to kill you instead."

"You lied to me."

The representative shook their head, "no. You made no bargain for your life. We made your family and friends forget; that was the deal."

Robyn was about to speak but pain rushed through her stomach causing her to double over. The representative hadn't been lying. Her heart pounded in her chest and she couldn't breathe. The darkness around her thickened and through its stillness she could hear distant shouting; someone was calling her. They were calling her to the fold. Telling her to stop fighting, to join them, to play with them and to die with them.

Doctor Cole injected Robyn with more adrenaline. He wasn't going to lose her.

The volume of the shouts grew but she pushed them back. They wouldn't take over, they wouldn't win this fight. Taking over her pain she pushed it away, all around her headstones began to crumble as they took over the discarded pain.

Summoning up enough strength she stood upright and looked deeply into the hollow eyes of the representative. "I choose to return." She stated simply.

At these words the representative let out a horrific scream which drowned out all of the shouts and followed Robyn back to the land of the living.

It was with great relief to Doctor Cole that Robyn responded to his resuscitation attempts. His success had been a narrow one, another few seconds and he was considering giving up. Once the paramedics arrived he told them to wait until Robyn was more stable before moving her into the helicopter. Satisfied that they would carry out his request he went downstairs.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs he noticed there was no small amount of people in the room. The news of Robyn deteriorating had spread like wildfire and he was sure that the helicopter showing up hadn't allayed people's concerns either. He was quite disconcerted to have everyone's complete attention fixed on him and their expectant expressions didn't help either. What he had to say wasn't good.

"I know why you're here and I got her back. Before anyone starts celebrating I'm sure you'd like an explanation of what's going on." Doctor Cole began, "Robyn's illness and subsequent cardiac arrest were due to an attempt being made on her life."

Gasps and exclamations of shock filled the room. No one could believe it. Someone had tried to kill Robyn, but who?

Once all of the commotion in the room had died down Doctor Cole resumed speaking, "Whoever did this had to have had some sort of medical knowledge and had to know what epilepsy medication that Robyn is taking. This person tried to poison her by mixing another drug with her medication. It took a lot of looking in her blood tests but we found it. Had we not Robyn would be on her way out of here in a body bag. I took the liberty of radioing the police on the way here and they will look into this."

"Is she going to be ok?" Kit asked trying to deal with his shock.

Doctor Cole nodded, "There's no reason why she shouldn't be. I gave her another drug to counteract the toxic affects of the combination she took and the whole thing should be out of her system soon. I intend to keep her in hospital overnight and seeing how she is in the morning we should hope to have her discharged tomorrow afternoon."

Three hours later Robyn sat on a bed in the Greentown Hospital. The affects of the poison had all but worn off and she was feeling much better. Something was confusing her however. She'd asked Doctor Cole about Doctor Palley and had received a very strange look. Doctor Cole had said he'd never met nor heard of a Doctor Palley.

Upon a lot of thinking Robyn came to the conclusion that the Judges had erased everyone's memories of Doctor Palley and had substituted them with memories of their own creation. This little facet of information was disconcerting to say the least. It made her think upon Detective Miller also, had he been erased too? Were the two men erased from existence or just from people's memories? What had happened to them?

Robyn knew that one thing for certain. The Watchers had to have had a hand in this. It had to have been they that tried to take her life. They had watched her every move from day one and had to know the things Doctor Cole had suggested her attacker would know. Just half an hour ago she had had to tell the police she had no enemies that she knew of that would wish to kill her. That had been a lie, her first ever lie. In fact there were thousands of people who wished her dead but revealing them would mean that more people would suddenly disappear. There would be no escape for her either. The Judges would claim that which was owed them, her soul.

"Penny for your thoughts?" A voice broke through Robyn's reverie.

Robyn looked up and saw Kit standing in the doorway, "You'd need more than a penny, haven't you heard of the rate of inflation?"

"I didn't know it was going up that quickly," Kit chuckled and then sobered somewhat, "you're looking better. I can't conceive how close I came to losing you today."

"It would take a damn sight more than poison to take me down. I'm not beaten yet."

"You never are, are you? I reckon they're going to start charging you rent you're in here so much."

Robyn smiled, "It's my second home almost. Did the police say anything?"

"Only that as far as they know they're chasing ghosts." Kit frowned when he saw Robyn react to the last word he'd said, "Do you know something we don't?"

"Nothing I can share." Robyn whispered and then changing the subject said, "I take it daddy is cancelling the New Year's party."

Kit nodded.

Robyn rolled her eyes, "he would stop the world moving if he had his way. Tell him that the party is still going to be on. I get out of here tomorrow and have a whole four days to recover before the New Year."

With a mock salute and a smile Kit went to fulfil his orders. He had no idea at all that he was leaving Robyn alone in the room with her attempted assassin.


	15. Another bargain

As soon as Kitleft the room went dark and the temperature dropped. Robyn looked around nervously, she knew what was coming. Part of her found it hard to believe that the Judges would do this in such a public place but it was hardly surprising. She'd escaped them again when they'd most meant to have her dead. This had been the first time that she'd been left totally alone in the three hours she'd been in the hospital.

Familiar silhouettes lined the walls and had she been feeling strong enough she would have gotten out of bed. Sitting up had been the most she could do for a while and was in no condition to get out of bed and move away from the walls where she'd be safe. All she could do was watch helplessly as the events that happened in her bedroom played themselves out again.

With the arrival of the Watchers a feeling of dread came over her. Perhaps they had come to do what they'd started, was there any chance of another bargain now? It appeared to be doubtful. The Watchers advanced on her and surrounded her bed, there was no escape now.

A Watcher who was standing at the foot of her bed spoke in hissed tones, "you should be dead now. We have been sent to give you another chance at bargaining for your life and the life of your family unit."

"What is it you want me to do? I know that any bargain I make will be irrelevant." Robyn replied with a tremor in her voice.

There was silence. The Watchers were consulting with each other and the Judges, the decision wasn't theirs alone.

"You must keep the knowledge of Lily's escape secret. No one is to know, not even your confidant. If the knowledge is shared your father will be killed. No matter where he is his life will be ours and his spirit doomed to eternal torture. You will be kept alive to forever wallow in your pain and the realisation that it was you that killed him." The Watcher replied at last.

Robyn nodded, she couldn't refuse them or people would die. "Tell me what you did to Doctor Palley. No one remembers him."

"We removed him from their memories and added alternatives of our own. What we have done to him personally is of no concern to you. Neither is what we did to Detective Miller. Both were punished and are to be forgotten. Mention them to anyone and the same consequences will apply to the sharing of knowledge about Lily."

"What about the expansion in my abilities? What can I or can't I tell people about spirits being able to touch me and me touching them?"

Again there was silence.

This time a Watcher standing close to the head of her bed spoke, "Only the confidant may know. Tell him what you will but abide wisely by our rules. There is to be no mention of our changing their memories and altering time for the day to start again. You cannot tell him of our conferences either. Be assured that we will be watching you and will know if you disobey us. Your life is your own for now, do not make us take it."

With that the Watchers disappeared taking the Guards with them. Once she was sure they were gone she drew in several deep breaths with hand holding her oxygen mask. She hadn't noticed Kit watching her and he walked over to her bedside concerned for her. Seeing his worried expression she caressed one of cheeks gently with the back of her left hand. Her right hand had an IV in it which was starting to irritate her.

Kit calmed at Robyn's touch. He'd been worried for her when he saw that she was breathing deeply. Still he had no idea of the reason and guessed it was something he couldn't know. It was uncomfortably obvious that Robyn's affairs with the ethereal realm had little or nothing to do with him. He knew that she wouldn't tell him anything and understood that it was for his own safety and peace of mind.

"What did daddy say?" Robyn asked breaking the companionable silence in the room.

Kit smiled, "he said ok and is un-cancelling the party now. It's only going ahead as long as you feel up to it; if you take a down turn then it's going to be cancelled again. He'd have come to tell you himself but what with the police hovering about he didn't want to be recognised for obvious reasons."

"It's fair enough I guess. Doctor Cole should be coming back soon with my toxicology report, it'll make for interesting reading."

"I guess it will. How are you feeling? You look better than you did earlier."

"I'm feeling a little bit better. My stomach has stopped doing somersaults and I'm feeling a little warmer. The dizziness has gone down a bit too but I've still got a slight headache."

"Poor Robyn's head." Kit cooed sympathetically, "Kit kiss it better."

Robyn laughed when Kit kissed her head all over. When he was done she kissed him back after taking off her oxygen mask. After she'd kissed Kit she put it back on and hugged him. Without his knowledge she lifted some of his anxiety from him and took it into herself.

Doctor Cole stepped into the room and observed the couple. It lightened his heart to see such a strong bond between the two. Love came easily for them both despite earlier struggles in life. Most would have fallen to bitterness and shunned the world but Kit and Robyn embraced it. Together they were strong and Doctor Cole knew there was nothing they couldn't face down.

It was two minutes before Kit and Robyn's hug ended and they smiled sheepishly when they noticed the doctor standing there. Neither of them knew how long he'd been standing there but guessed that it hadn't been long.

Glad that he'd been noticed finally Doctor Cole walked over to Robyn's bedside, "There is still some of the poison running through your system but the IV should help with that. We're still looking at a possible discharge tomorrow afternoon but we'll see how things go tonight before we finalise anything. I've been told to inform you that your father is coming with your uncle and they're bringing dinner with them."

Kit smiled, "that's good news then. I was wondering what we'd do about dinner. You'll cover for us as usual right?"

Doctor Cole nodded, "Of course. I can't subject you two to the horrors of the food here any more than I could subject myself. This will stop one day though; you can't rely on me forever."

"We wouldn't dream of it," Robyn chuckled.

With a nod Doctor Cole left the room.

Kit plonked himself down in a chair beside Robyn's bed. He was sure he felt better than he did before he'd hugged her and couldn't put his finger on why. Either way it was welcome, he hated feeling so worried about Robyn. His worry would gnaw at his insides leaving him with a horrid feeling. Nothing he could do would shake the feeling and it would stay with him until he could convince himself that Robyn was fine.

Forty minutes later Sportacus and Robbie arrived with a pizza. They'd picked it up at the Greentown Pizza Palace on the way to the hospital. It was with some annoyance that Robbie realised he'd forgotten drinks and asked Kit to go with him to the drinks machine in the hospital foyer.

When they were halfway to the foyer and in a quiet corridor Robbie asked the question he'd been waiting to ask all day, "Since when were you sterile?"


	16. In the hospital

Kit was extremely taken aback by the question, "who told you?" he asked nervously well aware that Robbie wasn't just annoyed about the drinks.

"Doctor Cole let slip. Before we knew what was wrong with Robyn I went off the wall and asked if she was pregnant. Why didn't you tell me?"

"To be perfectly frank Robbie, it's not something you bring up in conversation with your girlfriend's dad let alone anyone else. It's one of those 'purely on a need to know basis' things. Before you ask Robyn knows, it's one of the first things I told her early on in our relationship and she's fine with it."

"How did it happen?"

"My sterility? I don't know. All I know is that I'm an olive short of a cocktail, if you get my meaning, and I can't produce enough of the little white fairies to do anything with them."

Robbie nodded. He understood Kit's reasons for keeping it quiet and resigned himself to the fact that grandchildren were out of the question. It was sad but he knew Kit had to feel worse about it then he did. Being declared sterile that young must have been a real blow. His annoyance hadn't helped the lad and he put an apologetic arm around Kit's shoulders.

Kit playfully pulled Robbie's arm away and got him into an arm lock. Both men laughed and made it to the drinks machine. They argued for a few minutes on what drinks to get and Kit tried to figure out what Robyn wanted, it was to his annoyance that he'd realised that he hadn't asked her. He was about to go back and ask her when Sportacus came jogging down the corridor.

"Robyn said she'll have the usual." Sportacus said.

Kit nodded and put some change in the machine, "fat Coke for Robyn, thin Coke for me and fat Coke for Robbie."

"In other words, normal Coke for Robbie and Robyn and diet Coke for you." Sportacus laughed.

Kit nodded and pulled the cans out of the tray at the bottom of the machine. They were extremely cold and he juggled them all the way back to Robyn's room much to the amusement of anyone that saw him.

When the three men returned Robyn rolled her eyes and folded her arms. Kit tossed her can of drink to her and she was smart enough not to open it straight away. Robbie however wasn't.

Doctor Cole paused in the corridor when he heard laughter. He could make out Kit's rather distinctive 'hyena' laugh whenever something really funny happened. His curiosity aroused he walked the short distance to Robyn's room and almost laughed himself at what he saw.

Robbie was completely soaked with the contents of the can and had taken most of it in the face. Sportacus was trying ineffectively to help him wipe some of the offending liquid off but he was laughing too hard to be of any use. Kit was rolling around on the floor with tears in his eyes and Robyn was laughing too. She also had some of Robbie's drink on her and so did the bed. As far as Doctor Cole could see there were some splashes of drink on Sportacus' pristine white t-shirt and on Kit's clothes too. Quite a substantial amount appeared to be on the floor as well where Robbie had dropped the can.

Two nurses stood behind Doctor Cole when they'd heard the laughter and guessed what had happened. They'd seen Kit's juggling act too and it was almost certain that someone had opened their drink straight away. Without being asked they called an on- call cleaner and fetched some clean sheets for Robyn's bed.

"Perhaps it might be an idea to get you all out of your wet clothes." Doctor Cole began when the laughter in the room had died down a bit, "I believe that Robyn is going to be sorted out by the nurses and you men will have to come with me."

"Where?" Kit asked picking himself up off the floor and brushing himself down.

"Stores and then laundry. I can get you all some scrubs at the stores and with you changed into them we can wash your clothes. They might have to stay here past visiting times but you can collect them tomorrow when you collect Robyn."

All three men nodded and followed the doctor out of the room just as the two nurses and the cleaner arrived. When the cleaner saw the state of the room she rolled her eyes and then laughed when she heard what had happened. Once she'd done her share of laughing the cleaner mopped the floor and kept her eyes averted while the nurses dealt with Robyn.

Sportacus, Kit, Robbie and Doctor Cole returned to Robyn's room twenty minutes later and noticed that she was fast asleep.

"I guess dinner's cancelled guys." Kit said going into the room and picking up the pizza box.

Bringing the pizza box out of the room Kit felt the pizza inside and it was stone cold, they'd stalled too long on eating it. Doctor Cole made to take the pizza box away so he could dispose of the pizza but Kit told him not to on the grounds that he hated to see food wasted. He said it was more than likely that Skip would chow down on it if he didn't and the doctor released his hold on the box.

Once they'd all kissed Robyn goodnight Kit, Sportacus and Robbie made their way home.

Robyn woke up the next morning to a steaming bowl of hospital porridge. She grimaced when she realised that she'd slept late and had obviously not been covered for by Doctor Cole. Sitting up she tried to stir the porridge with the spoon that had been left in it but the porridge was so thick the spoon didn't move at all. Shaking her head in disbelief she picked up the bowl and slowly started to turn it upside down. Much to her humour the porridge didn't move at all and the spoon was still firmly held in place.

"If it's that sticky in a bowl I can't imagine what it would do to your insides," a voice said from the doorway.

Robyn looked over and saw Trixie standing by the door. Smiling she looked at the still upside down bowl and then back at Trixie with a melodramatic shudder. Trixie laughed and entered the room.

"I got the bits you asked for. I had to practically beat Kit and your dad off with a stick when they found out I was coming here." Trixie laughed handing Robyn a plastic bag.

"Thanks. I didn't want any of the guys going through my drawers. It's embarrassing; whenever Kit does it things go missing. I think he likes wearing girl's underwear."

"That doesn't surprise me at all. He's a strange one your Kit, doubt there's another man on earth like him."

Robyn smiled, "can you imagine what it would be like having two of them? Although he and daddy are like Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee sometimes."

"I can agree with that," Trixie laughed, "Sometimes I can't tell them apart."

After a slight pause Robyn said, "I need you to help me with something, a little bit of detective work. A person's gone missing that I have to find."

Trixie nodded. Something told her that this person was important and that somehow this might prove dangerous.


	17. Glass bottles and microwaves don't mix

Trixie drove reluctantly into a gloomy looking suburb of Greentown. Had the streets not been teeming with the most unsavoury looking characters she'd ever seen she would have felt better about being there. This idea of Robyn's didn't seem to be too great and all of her doubts about it had been confirmed. She had no idea who it was they were looking for and how Robyn knew they'd be here. It was with no undeserved honesty that she told Robyn that she had five minutes to find the person and get out before she turned round and went home. If it hadn't have been for Robyn's brilliance at the art of persuasion she wouldn't have come. This also seemed really important to her and she couldn't turn down her friend.

It amazed her that Robyn had only been discharged half an hour before and had dragged her in to going gallivanting around the seedy area of Greentown. A seedy area she hadn't known existed before. It escaped her how Robyn would know about it as well and why the girl would know someone around here and want to visit them.

After receiving some uncomfortably threatening looks from the people around her on the streets Trixie was just about ready to turn the car around. Every single person she saw looked like they wanted to mob her and hijack the car. She wished that she had allowed Kit to come along, at least with a man present they wouldn't look so vulnerable.

"We'll be fine; no harm will come to us here. They know me anyway; I came here with Kit once and we made a good impression. We were promised that neither of us or our friends would be harmed if we returned." Robyn reassured Trixie well aware of her friend's discomfort.

"If you're sure."

After a few more minutes Robyn told Trixie to stop the car, they'd arrived at their destination. After telling Trixie to stay in the car she got out and knocked on a door. She'd been to this house before and knew who lived here; she hoped they were still around. No one answered at first but then a surprising person opened the door, it was Detective Miller.

Detective Miller looked extremely vexed and spoke in a similar tone, "I knew you'd come here. This little reckless streak you're developing has to go."

"Where's Doctor Palley? What happened to you when the Watchers disappeared?"

"I don't know where he is but I do know that he's not Doctor Palley anymore. He was 'relocated'. They wiped his memory and put him in a different place where no one knew him. As far as he knows he's moved from Florida and has a job in a burger van. The Judges didn't take kindly to my interference but instead of destroying me they did something else."

Robyn frowned, "What was the something else?"

"They let me go again. I've been ordered to stay well away from you but I couldn't. I feel I have a duty to protect you, it's hard to let go no matter what they threaten."

"I understand. How did they make the day repeat itself?"

"They can do that. It doesn't just happen in one place it happens all over and will continue to do so until people that make the Judges turn time back stop doing what they're doing wrong. You never know when it happens; no one ever has any memory of it. There are enough Judges with enough power to pull it of. The Watchers deal with the memory side of things while the Judges deal with time."

Robyn nodded. She turned suddenly when she heard Trixie sound the horn and knew her time was up. Thanking Detective Miller she returned to the car, some of her questions had been answered but not all of them. Doctor Palley was still missing but at least he was safe. It was extremely disconcerting to know that the Judges could control time. They were everywhere, always watching and listening. If one person did something wrong or came too close to them they could make days start again over and over.

Trixie was extremely confused. She was sure she'd seen the man that Robyn was talking to before. He was buried deep in her memory and she couldn't dig it out. What also confused her was how Robyn knew him, had she met him when she'd been here with Kit? If she had then why had she said he'd gone missing? It didn't make sense. She made a point to ask Robyn about it when they got back to Lazytown and hoped her younger friend would be able to shed some light on the mystery.

Robyn and Trixie made it back to Lazytown in the normal forty minutes. To thank Trixie for the lift and her friend's patience with waiting until she was discharged and helping her look for Doctor Palley Robyn invited her over for dinner. Trixie gladly accepted and when she'd dropped her car off at her place she walked with Robyn to hers.

Kit smiled when the front door opened and admitted Robyn and Trixie. Going over to the stairs he shouted, "Honey, they're home!"

Trixie looked at Robyn in confusion and the girl just shrugged. Even after living with Kit and her dad for over a year they both still confused her. How she tolerated living with them she had no idea. The good part about it was that it was a lot of fun and life was never boring.

Well knowing that Robbie and Kit couldn't be trusted alone in the house without supervision Trixie inspected the place starting in the living room and moving into the kitchen. When she got to the kitchen there was a massive black mark on the back wall of the kitchen and debris sticking out of the ceiling.

"What happened to your microwave?" Trixie asked walking back into the living room.

Kit grimaced, "Robbie decided to put a frozen bottle of beer in there. He thought putting it in the microwave would defrost it enough for him to be able to drink it."

"Uh oh."

"Yeah. Being the level ten disaster area that he is he put it on full power. Let's just say that the bottle went boom and took the microwave with it."

Robyn looked almost panicked, "he's ok isn't he?"

"Princess he's fine. Don't panic." Kit said walking up to Robyn and hugging her, "Doctor Cole rang to say he was discharging you just after he put it in. He got the phone in here so unwittingly he saved his own life. Unfortunately I still had to scrape him off the ceiling, myself too in fact. Everyone's fine though, we had a good laugh and I've lectured him on the fact that microwaves and glass bottles don't mix."

When he was sure that Robyn was sufficiently calmed Kit let her go. He tucked her hair behind her ears and gave her a quick kiss before going into the kitchen to see what there was to eat.

Half an hour later all four people in the house were sat down with pizza. There had been nothing to eat in the fridge and so they'd called it in.

Trixie finally remembered who the man had been and she couldn't believe it.


	18. Moving in

It was now New Year's Eve. For the last couple of days Robyn had been making a steady improvement and was now helping Kit decorate the house in readiness for the upcoming party that evening. It had been Robyn's idea to hold the party at their house to give Bessie and the Mayor a break for once. They'd hosted more than their fair share of parties and it would make a nice change. Despite Robbie's earlier attempts to cancel the party due to Robyn's illness it was still going ahead.

After finishing off all of the decorating in the living room where everyone would be eating the two went over the plans for the party. Everyone was due to arrive at six with the inclusion of Doctor Cole who had the day off and before the meal started there was to be idle talk. After the meal, which Kit was cooking, there would be some easy party games. An indoor circus trick display was also going to take place courtesy of Kit who had promised to show off his knife throwing skills and some other things he could do. Everyone had also managed to persuade Kit to promise that he'd tell them a story from his massive repertoire.

"I think that's all the plans done," Robyn said when they'd covered everything, "Why don't we make a start on dinner?"

Kit smiled, "Give me a sec. There's something I need to do upstairs first."

Robyn nodded and watched as Kit ran up the stairs. She heard the front door open behind her and turned to see Sportacus and Robbie entering with the shopping. They'd both gone to the store to get extra supplies for the party. When the two men had unloaded their bags in the kitchen they came back out to the living room to take off their coats. Robyn hugged them both and was about to see what they'd got when Kit came down the stairs.

Everyone laughed when they saw what he was wearing. Kit was wearing a fat suit underneath a chef's outfit. He had a large moustache that curled at the ends and fake eyebrows which were extremely bushy. On his head he wore a large hat which moved with every movement he made. In his hand he held a meat cleaver.

"You mess with me I carve you up." He said in a fake Italian accent while holding up the meat cleaver.

This drew a little more laughter although Kit could tell by the look on Sportacus' face that he was just a little bit concerned about the meat cleaver.

"Don't worry Sportacus," Kit reassured, "this thing is as blunt as my shoe."

To demonstrate what he was saying Kit threw the meat cleaver at the Christmas tree. It was with great surprise to Kit that it sliced straight through the top of the tree and embedded itself in the wall. When his audience had stopped gawping at the tree they turned back to Kit who shrugged with a sheepish look on his face. Shrugging again and shaking off his surprise Kit walked down the rest of the stairs and retrieved his meat cleaver. Robyn joined Kit in the kitchen when he managed to squeeze himself through the door after getting stuck, much to everyone's amusement, and helped him get the food ready.

Robbie and Sportacus plonked themselves down on the sofa and put their feet up on the coffee table. It was lovely and warm inside the house and it was scented with the relaxing perfume of incense. Both men relaxed into the wonderful atmosphere and breathed in the incense deeply. It was Sandalwood, one of Robyn's favourite scents.

Sportacus sighed contentedly and turned to look at Robbie, "You know, out of all the things Robyn has gotten into I like incense the best. She always used to make the airship smell so nice with it."

"I bet it's weird you not having her living with you anymore, sharing your space with someone for fourteen years and then them moving out."

"It is weird. I thought it would take a lot longer to get used to having someone live with me but it takes longer to get used to them not living with you after a long time. It gets lonely sometimes."

Robbie nodded, "You know, if you wanted to stay here with us in the Mad House for while you're welcome to. It can't be too warm up in the airship these days with winter here and you won't be alone. We can squeeze you in somewhere; my bed is normally always free as I'm going back to the phase where I sleep in my chair. If you wanted you could move in right now."

"Thanks Robbie. I'd like that, I'd like that a lot but are sure Robyn and Kit won't mind?"

Robyn stuck her head out of the kitchen; she'd heard everything that the two men had been saying. "We don't mind at all. You're very welcome to stay as long as you can stand us."

Sportacus was about to thank Robyn but she got pulled back into the kitchen. Looking at Robbie he shrugged with a slight chuckle. As he'd been formerly accepted into the Rotten household or as it was known by the inhabitants, the Mad House, he went to get some things from his airship.

Being accepted into the house meant a lot to Sportacus, the whole family would be under one roof and he wouldn't get lonely anymore. Since Robyn had moved in with Kit he had missed her presence in the airship. He'd gotten used to sharing his space with someone else and was still getting used to being alone again after fourteen years. Seeing her during the day didn't change the fact that he woke up on his own and went to sleep the same way, sometimes he'd forget that Robyn had moved out and would look over to her bed but she wasn't there. He'd not been able to bring himself to have her bed removed; he wasn't altogether sure why he'd kept it so long. In the beginning it had been there in case there had been a falling out between Kit and Robyn and either one of them wanted their space but it never happened.

Moving some of his stuff out of the airship was strange for Sportacus. He'd never moved out of it before and didn't really know what to take. The essentials were an obvious thing and he packed them up in his rucksack. He also threw in his baseball glove and ball and some sports candy. Once he'd gotten all of things together that he wanted to take and could fit in his rucksack he left the airship.

When Sportacus got back to the house Robbie gave him an informal tour even though Sportacus knew where most of everything was. Robbie showed him his bedroom and Kit and Robyn were changing the bed for him, the food was cooking and there was nothing else they could do in the kitchen.

"You've got fitted wardrobes there that you can throw your clothes in; the chest of drawers is fairly obvious." Robbie explained opening the wardrobes.

Sportacus smiled, "Thanks guys. I can finish up with the bed and put my stuff away if you want to get changed for the party."

Robyn and Kit didn't refuse. Kit chased after Robyn when she threw the pillow she was holding at him and the two could be heard laughing through the wall. It was evident that they were having a playful fight and argument. When the laughter stopped Sportacus and Robbie guessed that the pair was sharing a kiss.

Half an hour later the guests began to arrive. Kit let them in with a melodramatic evil laugh after saying 'welcome to the Mad House', a little thing which made everyone laugh when they heard it.


	19. The old man and the penny

Dinner was a great success and the wine had flowed freely already. The dining table had moved into the living room as the kitchen wasn't big enough for the ten people seated at it. The starter had been a Pasta bake made by Robyn which was a popular ingredient to any dinner that was held as it was superb. Main course was a sausage casserole made by Kit which was also growing in popularity around the tables of Lazytown. Dessert was a chocolate soufflé which again was made by Kit; everyone was loathe to eat it because it looked delicious.

When everyone had tucked into their share of the dessert and were almost done Kit went upstairs and got his recently purchased knife throwing board out. He also brought down his long serving throwing knives and a pillow case. All he needed was a volunteer which it didn't take him long to find. The Mayor had held his hand up rapidly after Kit had asked and a comment had been made that living with Bessie was starting to get to him finally.

Once the Mayor was ready Kit showed him what position to stand in against the board. There were five balloons on the board: two either side of the head, two under each hand and one that went between the legs of the person standing against it. It didn't take long for the Mayor to get in position and he didn't appear to be at all nervous.

To create an atmosphere of suspense like any great entertainer Kit staggered around pretending to be just a little bit more drunkified than he was already. It was only when Kit put the pillow case over his own head that people started to get nervous. With his trick being a success and the atmosphere right for his performing his stunt he placed the pillow case over the Mayor's head.

After walking back several places Kit picked up his knives and before throwing or even sharpening them together he juggled them with his expert skill and everyone watched with bated breath. Much to everyone's amazement and relief Kit caught every single knife by the handle and suffered no injuries.

"For someone who may have lost his hands through substantial injuries caused by knives you'd have thought he would be more careful than this," Doctor Cole commented. "You do like to live dangerously don't you?"

Kit smiled at Doctor Cole, "Yep. I'm danger man, everyone takes risks in life whether they know it or not. I'm just a little more open about the risks I take."

Remembering that the Mayor was stood waiting to have knives thrown at the board he was standing against Kit stopped juggling and after asking the Mayor if he was ready threw the first knife. It had been aimed at the balloon to the left of the Mayor's head and made flawless contact with it. The second knife was aimed at the second balloon and again Kit's aim was dead on and after two balloons with two knives the Mayor was unharmed.

Balloons three and four were popped with similar flawlessness and flair and now there was one left. A couple of the men in the room automatically crossed their legs when Kit started to take aim at the balloon placed dangerously between the Mayor's legs. If Kit missed a very important body part would go missing.

Much to everyone's surprise and amusement Kit didn't throw the knife but after making everyone believe he would he just simply walked up to the board and popped the last balloon with the tip of his remaining knife. This caused everyone to laugh and applaud while an audible sigh of relief was heard from underneath the pillow case.

Once Kit had put away his knife board and all related paraphernalia he came back downstairs and was accosted by everyone who wanted a story. He remembered that he'd promised and tried to think of one. After asking which story they wanted his choice was limited to a story of his experiences out on the road. They had asked for one of his earlier experiences and he found one is his memory.

"I've got one but it would ruin the evening, it's not the happiest of stories." Kit said sitting himself down on his chair.

"Tell us, we can all cheer up afterwards." Trixie urged she was supported by several people round the table nodding.

Kit gave in, "Ok. Everyone ready?"

Kit's audience made themselves more comfortable in their chairs and nodded when they were ready.

"Right," Kit began taking in a deep breath. "It was winter. This particular day was cold, ever so cold. They reckoned it was the coldest day in the whole year and perhaps even on record. I didn't feel the cold much because I'd been given a coat by a labourer who'd seen me walking around without one on and shivering in my little shoes. Being only seven at the time and the labourer being a fully grown man the coat was massive on me but because of the size difference it was lovely and toasty warm.

Anyway, during this day I was standing in a street. The street was abandoned and snow fell in droves all around. From where I was standing I could see a man huddled up in a shop doorway. The shop was all boarded up and he was lying down in this doorway. Even though I was standing on the other side of the street from this man I could see him quite clearly. He had no coat on, no jacket and no shoes. From what I could see he was an old man with a big bushy beard and he was lying there shivering.

I turned my attention from the man when I heard hurried footfalls coming my way in the street; a woman with an arm full of shopping was on her way home. She paused for a second when she noticed me but it was just a second, as she walked past the man she threw a penny on the ground in front of him. A penny! This man was freezing to death, he was turning blue. She threw the penny down as if a penny would stop him freezing, as if it would safe his life and buy him some food. She didn't even look at him, not one look and carried on walking after slinging the penny, carried on walking back to her nice warm house with her nice warm fire and her nice food. Just a morsel of the food would have been of much more comfort to a dying man than a stupid penny.

The man was trying to reach out for the penny, it had been thrown near him but was out of his reach and he was too weak to move. His bony arm was trying to reach this penny so desperately but he couldn't reach it. Being only seven at the time and not knowing any better I ran up to the man and handed him the penny. This guy's hand was like ice, it was ice and he was shivering so badly. When he took the penny from me a tear fell from his eye and down his cheek, it was so cold outside; he was so cold that the tear just froze on his cheek.

Taking off my coat I put it over him; he was a lot colder than me and needed it more than I did. Once I'd put the coat on him I sat down next to him and snuggled up to the coat to share some of the warmth. After a little while the man stopped shivering and I thought he was sleeping. Thinking that he was sleeping I went to sleep too. I smiled because I thought my coat had made him nice and warm and he could sleep without shivering.

Several hours must have passed and the sun rose through the scattered snow clouds. I heard something pull up near the shop and woke up. It was a big white van and two men came out of it. One of them knelt down in front of me and said, 'go home boy, there's nothing more you can do here.' And he handed me my coat. Once he'd helped me put it on he put something in my hand and pushed me on my way. After walking a little way I turned back and watched as they put the old man in a big black bag, a big black bag that zipped up at the front. I watched them throw this bag into the back of the van as if it were a heap of rubbish. They shut the doors of the van and drove away.

When they'd gone I looked at what had been put in my hand and it was a penny. Seeing the men throw the old man in the van told me what had happened to him. He must have been minutes from freezing to death when I put my coat on him and I was too late. All of what I saw faced me with my own mortality and at seven years old it's a terrifying thing to happen. Something at the back of my mind told me, 'you'll die out here. You'll die out here and no one will notice. All you'll have is a penny in your hand and you'll be thrown into a big white van wrapped in a big black bag'."

During his story Kit had grown increasingly upset but had carried on to finish it. Robyn held him offering him support and it had helped a little.

Trixie felt guilty for urging Kit to tell the story, had she known how close to his heart it was and the circumstances she wouldn't have asked. She wasn't the only one left crying after the story, no one in the room had dry eyes and knew the true depth of the horrors Kit had seen in his fifteen years of drifting.

Wiping away his remaining tears and smiling Kit stood up, "coffee anyone?"

Everyone nodded wiping their tears away too. No one could deny that Kit had an extremely strong spirit which had overcome the worst kind of hardships.


	20. A new beginning, a new end

It was eleven thirty and there was only half an hour to go until the New Year arrived. Everything on Kit and Robyn's itinerary had been done and now everyone sat around the living room talking about plans for the New Year. No one except Kit and Robyn had anything major planned; their wedding was going to be the biggest event of the year as far as anyone could tell. Everyone was looking forward to it and plans were to be made as soon as possible during January.

Ziggy had asked Kit when the wedding was going to be and the date had been set for March 15th which was welcome news to everyone. The wedding was to be held at the Greentown Gardens in their lake side complex. It had taken some negotiating on Kit's part to get the management to lease them the complex which was where it was intended for the wedding and reception to be held. The complex was large enough to fit everyone on the couple's guest list including the two largest guests, Ché and Greta.

Currently Ché and Greta were spending the holidays in Spain with their extremely large family. No one in Lazytown could imagine how they'd manage to fit forty two people into their Andalucian villa. It was conceivable that forty two normal sized people would fit quite easily into the villa but no members of Ché's family were normal sized except the children. Everyone made a mental note to ask Ché and Greta how they did it.

Once a pause had fallen in the conversation in the room Doctor Cole asked Kit if he'd mind telling everyone how he escaped from the boarding school he'd been placed in.

Surprisingly Kit didn't object at all, "Well, as you know I was six years old at the time. My parents had died and I was told by one of the masters but I wasn't upset. Being that I was put into the boarding school when I was two and a half years old I'd never really had a chance to know them and-"

"Two and a half years old!" Sportacus interrupted surprised.

"Uh huh. We'll go into the particulars of the school another time but for reference I'll say that was the youngest children got put there and the school never released children for the holidays unless their parents allowed it. My parents only allowed it twice and only for a week at a time so they were more or less strangers to me when they died. Everyone with me so far?" Kit asked looked around.

Everyone nodded.

"Ok. So anyway, I was told that a man was coming to fetch me the next day to take me to a new place. Being as sharp as I was I knew who that man was and where he was going to be taking me. The news had worried me a little seeing as Mr Snail's reputation preceded him and he'd been to the school before to pick up another kid. From what I'd seen of him when he came during the night to pick up that kid I knew to be worried. I also knew he'd come for me during the night too, if you're half asleep you can't struggle so much.

Knowing where I was going to end up and when I was going to be taken by way of taking a quick peep at the head master's note book I planned my escape. This was easier planned than pulled off as the school was built like a prison with a metal fence all around. There were also masters on patrol that would do turns of the corridor and outside to make sure that no children were up out of their beds when they weren't allowed to be. If any of them had seen me when I made my run for it I wouldn't be here now.

In the dead of night about an hour before Mr Snail was due to arrive I crept up to the window in my dormitory and opened it a little. It was open wide enough for me to shimmy through but it also looked shut from the outside. I'd gotten myself on the ledge and was about to shimmy out when a car pulled in through the main gates, no points for guessing who was driving it. Luckily I wasn't spotted and waited until you know who was well inside the door before I dropped myself from the window. I landed on the roof of his car which was a soft top at the time. Once I'd made sure I wasn't being followed and hadn't been seen I made a run for it. It took me all of ten seconds to squeeze myself between two bars of the fence and I was off into the night. The rest, as they say, is history. All I can say is it was bloody close, just before I got through the gap I heard the door to the school open. Just two seconds more and I'd have had it."

"A great escape indeed I must say. Fascinating to be perfectly honest. It would have taken just two seconds for the course of your life to be changed entirely." Doctor Cole stated.

Kit nodded, "Fate; our friend, our brother and our worst enemy. I'd say fifteen years on the road was a damn sight better than what I would have had to have gone through in that godforsaken hell hole.

With only fifteen minutes to go until midnight everyone's excitement was growing. The New Year was fast approaching and even though it was cold outside everyone agreed to follow Kit out of the house when he told them he had something to show them. It was one of Kit's favourite circus tricks, fire eating.

There was a great air of excitement as Kit prepared his props for the trick with help from Robyn. To help stave off the cold a little for everyone Kit lit a small bonfire out of dead wood from a few trees which had succumbed to the winter chill and the warmth spread round the crowd. When he was ready he asked everyone to stand back a little and reminded them to not try this at home.

To start off his big trick Kit juggled the sticks he was going to set alight for about ten seconds before dipping each one in the fire before continuing to juggle them. With extraordinary skill Kit juggled the fire sticks as he had done the knives. Several people in the crowd gasped when they saw him catch one of the sticks wrongly and he burnt his hand. The only reaction Kit showed was to briefly shake his hand before catching the next stick. This surprised a lot of people especially Doctor Cole who against his better judgement allowed the trick to continue.

When Kit had sufficiently warmed up with his juggling and acquired the crowd's full attention he moved on to the grand finale. He threw the sticks further into the air than before when he juggled them and catching all save one which he kept throwing into the air extinguished them put putting them into his mouth. Catching the remaining stick that he'd left alight Kit quickly took a sip out of a flask Robyn had thrown to him and he blew onto the fire stick making the flame burst across the sky. To extinguish the stick he stuck it in the snow.

Everyone applauded and cheered while Kit too a bow. No one had seen Kit perform the trick before and they all thought it was great. There was no doubting his skill and there was no small amount of people who wanted to call for an encore but time was wearing thin and the cold was starting to get to them. Everyone went back inside when Kit extinguished the fire by throwing a bucket of water over it.

Doctor Cole reached for Kit's hand once he'd taken his coat off but Kit waved him off. Without saying anything Kit went into the kitchen and washed his mouth out with water.

"I would have talked then but that was petrol in the flask, didn't want to stink you out with it." Kit said going back over to Doctor Cole.

"I see. Can I look at your hand now?" Doctor Cole replied.

Kit shook his head and looking at the clock began to count down, "10, 9, 8, 7,6…"

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1 happy new year!" Everyone called in unison their cheers accompanied by the clock striking midnight.

The New Year had arrived, a new beginning and the end of another year some parts of which were better off in the past. It was hoped that this New Year would yield good events and peace for all those that had suffered before.

Would their hopes come to fruit or would there be much more trouble to come? Only time would tell.


End file.
